


The Truth Will Out

by Faithless_3105



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, BDSM, Bondage, Consensual Underage Sex, Dom Severus Snape, Drama, Fluff, Harry Potter is a Malfoy, Humor, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Sirius Black Bashing, Slow Burn, Smut, Spanking, Sub Harry Potter, Underage (16), Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Vampire Severus Snape, Weasley Family Bashing (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:00:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 90
Words: 181,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24801982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faithless_3105/pseuds/Faithless_3105
Summary: When Harry Potter sneaks into the reading of Sirius's will he learns more than he bargained for. Most importantly he is not Harry Potter!With everything that he thought he knew turned on it's head can old rivalries heal new hurts and can Harry find everything he ever wanted in the last place he expected to find it.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Marcus Flint/Oliver Wood, Neville Longbottom/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 1518
Kudos: 2526
Collections: Wings Fav Harry Potter





	1. Chapter 1

Harry lay on his small bed in his tiny room at 4 Privet Drive and thought about the events of the last few months. He'd been back at the Dursley's for a week already and had had plenty of time to reflect after the debacle in the department of mysteries. Yes he'd been angry at first: angry at Dumbledore for keeping secrets; angry at Sirius for taunting Bellatrix, getting himself killed and leaving Harry on his own again but mostly angry at himself for falling for such an obvious trap.  
He sighed as a cool breeze blew in from his window. He supposed he wasn't completely alone, Mrs Weasley was always going on about how he was family but there was always something holding him back, like a little voice at the back of his mind telling him to be careful. It shouldn't be that surprising really as they had only spent a few weeks together total: last year at Grimmauld Place and the year before at the Quidditch world cup plus a couple of Christmases, barely 2 months in total. Hardly enough to start calling them family really, despite what Mrs Weasley might say.

Even Sirius was basically a stranger. Yes it hurt to lose him, lose another connection to who he was or at least who he thought he was supposed to be, but Harry didn't really know him. That much had been made apparent to him when he'd seen Snape's memories. Harry had been horrified to see people he'd looked up to act in such a way. Harry had never had time for bullies and was appalled to think of his father and friends as such. He hadn't had a chance to talk to Sirius about it but he'd managed to message Lupin; a disappointing 'we were children' not really offering much in the way of explanation or justification.

Harry's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of an owl in the distance. He waited, listening as it slowly drew closer, rising to open the window as far as it would go and searching for some of Hedwig's owl treats. He always stocked up before the summer in case the Dursley's decided to try and starve him again. It is not long until a wise looking owl with long ears comes fluttering in, circling the ceiling once before landing gracefully on his bed and stretching its leg out towards Harry. Barely missing a beat, Harry offers the beautiful long-eared owl some treats and unfurled the official looking letter. Not expecting anything from his friend so soon after the start of the summer holidays he wasn't overly surprised to see a letter from Gringotts.

'Dear Mr Potter,  
I am writing to you to invite you to the reading of the last will and testament of Sirius Orion Black on Tuesday 11th July at 10 o'clock. Please arrive at the main foyer and Abax, the Black family accountant will greet you and escort you to the reading.  
Apologies for your loss,  
Yours gratefully,  
Linux  
Head of inheritance division  
Gringotts Bank'

Harry was stunned; not that he felt emotionally overwhelmed but that he didn't feel anything. He almost considered not going but a wave of curiosity hit him, a weakness of his for sure. But there must be a reason they asked him to come and Sirius would have wanted him there. Harry was just about to pen a reply when the owls gave one long hoot then flew off again: apparently a reply was not required.  
Harry gave Hedwig some treats so she wouldn't feel left out and settled back on the bed. As morbid as it sounded he had something to look forward to. Sure the Dursley's wouldn't want him to leave, and had been on his back now they knew Sirius was dead courtesy of the Order, it's not like anyone would be around at that time. Dudley rarely got out of bed before lunch, Vernon would be at work and Petunia had her Women's Institute meeting on Tuesday so no one would notice if he snuck out. He'd probably get a beating for not finishing his chores but they always gave him an impossibly long list anyway so that wouldn't be anything new. With thoughts of a few precious hours of freedom looming Harry settled back on his bed, falling asleep with a smile on his face for the first time in a long time.

Harry spent the next day in a bit of a daze, working out the best way for him to get to Gringotts. He was sure the Order members would know about this Will reading and he was surprised he hadn't heard anything from anyone. He'd expected to see owls swooping in all day but none had come. It's not like he couldn't get there on his own, thanks to the Knight Bus, but he always felt weird walking around Diagonal Alley and could just imagine all of the stares he would get.  
Harry was in the kitchen finishing the toad in the hole (none of that foreign food in this house) when Vernon came storming into the house.

"Petunia, pack some bags, we're heading off to Marge's this evening."

"What did you say?" Asked Petunia, pulling her eyes away from some soap playing on the telly, "did something happen?"

"She had a fall and needs help with the dogs, I've cleared it with the office, we should be gone for a week."  
"A bloody week!" screeched Dudley, lumbering down the stairs, "I'm not staying at my batty Aunts house for a whole bloody week!"

"You will if you want to keep attending that bloody school of yours!" Vernon shouted, and Harry's ears perked up.

"What do you mean," asked Petunia, her eyes flicking briefly to Harry in the kitchen who made sure to keep plating up, not wanting to let on that he was listening.

"I got a… message…" eyes quickly darting to Harry, "through today asking if we could leave for the week, everything would be sorted."

Vernon and Petunia looked at each other, seeming to have some sort of silent conversation before Petunia nodded and started heading upstairs.

"But Mum," whined Dudley, " what am I going to do with a bunch of dogs for a whole week."

"Don't worry Duddykins, we'll get something for you to do when we get there, Marge has even got the internet now so you can keep in touch with your friends."

"I'd better get some new games out of this," he groused, squeezing himself under the table as Harry plated up.

Harry couldn't believe his luck, he ducked his head and concentrated on keeping a neutral expression on his face but inside he was laughing. He was free for a whole week. He knew Marge would never accept him into her house, not after that incident from a couple of years back. That meant he would have a whole week to himself! Maybe he could get a little money out of his account and do some shopping, it would be nice to get some of his books early and get ahead on some of his homework. He hated having to do it on the train but his books were usually locked away until the last minute. In all fairness, he was surprised he did as well in school as he did. There was still so much he didn't understand about the wizarding world, and Ron never really explained things, but he assumed that they weren't important.

His good mood continued through cleaning up, tuning out Dudley's complaints as his aunt packed their bags and his uncle got the car ready. Harry was happily lying on his bed, planning out his days and wondering how long a list of chores they would leave for him, when Vernon came stomping into his room. He put 3 bottles of water and a couple of over-ripe bananas on the desk before leaving and quickly locking the door. It took a moment for Harry to realise what had happened and pound on his door.

"Hey, you can't do this," he yelled at the top of his voice, "you can't lock me in here for a week! What about the bathroom or food!"

Vernon's fat face appeared in the flap at the bottom of the door, or at least part of it did. "What the hell do you think I just put in the room you ungrateful brat. Count yourself lucky you're even getting that. I don't know why I don't just let you starve and be done with it!"

"I probably will at this rate, and what about the bathroom."

"You're meant to be a wizard, figure something out!" Vernon slammed the flap shut but shouted out "you'll be scrubbing that room clean of any mess when we get back. Don't want the house stinking of filth," before laughing as he went downstairs.

Harry collapsed to the floor in despair. Of course he wouldn't be allowed any freedom, not for the Boy-Who-Lived. What a ridiculous notion. Now he had a whole week of staring at these four walls, with only Hedwig as any sort of company. He would go mad, he was surprised he hadn't already if he was honest. He started laughing to himself when Hedwig hooted, likely worried by the slightly maniacal sound. Hedwig! How could he be so stupid to no think about it straight away. He always kept some writing supplies in his room and quickly penned a letter to Ron, explaining what the Dursley's had done and asking for help. At the very least he'd send some sweets but hopefully the twins might apparate in. It was handy that they were of age now and could do magic. Sending his beloved owl off with instructions to fly as fast as she could and wait for a reply. She hooted affectionately and nuzzled his hand before taking off. Harry sighed and settled onto his small mattress to wait. He hoped it wouldn't be long, he knew Hedwig but the Burrow was quite a way away so it would probably be a couple of hours, may as well have a nap in case they came to get him out.

When Harry awoke to Hedwig's gentle hooting dawn had broken some hours before. Hoping that the delayed arrival meant good news Harry dived for the letter, startling Hedwig off her perch. He tore the letter open and couldn't contain his cry of anguish at its contents.

'Hey mate,  
Sorry to hear about that but mum says you have to stay. Something about Dumbledore and resetting wards, I wasn't really paying attention. Anyway I've sent a chocolate frog, hope it helps.  
See you in about a month, that's when mum says that's when you can visit.  
All the best, Ron.'

Not knowing what else to do, and having a full bladder, Harry walked up to the door and hit his head against it. Tears of desperation streamed down his face.

"Open. Please. I can't stay in here all week, I can't. I have to get out. Please, open." He slammed his hands against the wood, "OPEN!"

The door exploded off its hinges.

"Shit!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry learns some surprising things when he goes to the reading of Sirius's Will. Let the bashing commence.

Harry stood in the doorway to his room, frozen, as the door quietly creaked on its hinges, knocking against the opposite wall.

"Shit!"

That's all I need, he thought, the department of underage magic on my back. He came to his senses when his bladder screamed out for attention and ran to the bathroom. Figuring he may as well make the most of his temporary freedom he made his way downstairs to make himself a decent breakfast. He was enjoying a nice cup of tea, strong how he liked it instead of whatever he could scrounge out of the Dursley's left over tea bags, when he noticed an owl in the garden. Assuming it was informing him of his inevitable expulsion, surely there could be only so many times he could be pardoned, he let the owl in and fed it some of his leftover bacon before it left. The letter didn't have an official seal which was strange but what was most peculiar was that it was addressed to his uncle Vernon. Who in the wizarding world would be writing to Vernon and why rang too many alarm bells for Harry to ignore and he carefully opened it, a sense of foreboding creeping down his spine.

'Dear Vernon,  
Well done for securing your charge, I am reliably informed that he is most upset with his current predicament and that little burst of magic confirmed it. I have enclosed a little bonus that I hope will cover any damages caused by his outburst, don't worry your son's school fees will still be paid in September. Your nephew is still as generous as ever.  
If he becomes more emotional or unstable let me know and I will have the department of underage magic monitoring your house again.  
Keep up the good work, just remember to feed him every couple of days, we want him weak not dead. Thankfully bulimia is an amazingly believable cover for his state.  
Hopefully I won't need to be in contact again this year,  
Ever, your friend.'

It was left unsigned but Harry was reeling. He had never felt so betrayed in his life, and that was some competition. The idea that his relatives were getting paid for abusing him made him dive for the bathroom, bringing up his breakfast.  
He eventually calmed, slowly sipping a glass of water to settle his stomach and tried to process what he'd learnt. Somebody was obviously working with his relatives against him, someone with enough power to direct ministry departments, and apparently had access to his accounts. He may not have been quite as bright as Hermione but, contrary to what Snape said, he wasn't a complete idiot and it didn't take a conspiracy theorist to work out that he was being kept from going to Sirius' Will reading. Looking at the clock he saw it was still only 7am so he still had plenty of time if he wanted to make it to Gringotts and a wad of muggle money to allow him to get there. The only problem was going to be crossing Diagon Alley.

He knew he looked quite distinctive, curse his mum's eyes and his dad's glasses, and didn't know who could be on the lookout or working as an informant. He had no idea who the mastermind was even. Harry didn't want to tip his hand too early, he needed to gather more information and find out what was going on. Looking at his wardrobe he realized going out in his usual clothes would just be a beacon: dark messy hair, round glasses and oversized hand-me-downs would just scream 'Harry Potter'. He went to his cousin's room to see if he could find anything in there.  
The designer labels were bursting out of the draws and Harry briefly wondered what happened to them when Dudley outgrew them, which was frequently, as Harry only ever seemed to get the cheap stuff. He grabbed one of the Ralph Laurent polos, a nice apple green, and pulled it over his head. Harry laughed at his reflection and laughed. The top swamped him, in length and width, and looked like a dress. That thought struck him. It shouldn't be that easy but maybe it could be, certainly no one would think to look for him if he dressed as a girl.

He took off Dudley's clothes, leaving it on the floor on a pile of other basically clean clothes, and went into his aunt's room. He'd never considered wearing women's clothes before so it took him awhile to find something that didn't feel completely ridiculous, a long skirt with a high neck blouse, that somehow fit him reminding him just how underfed he was. Thankfully it was raining so he got out a head scarf and coat to cover up and he was disturbed to note he looked passable. Harry found the keys to unlock the cupboard under the stairs to retrieve his wand and cloak, stuffing them into a bag along with the letter from Gringotts and got ready to leave. He tried not to look too conspicuous as he made his way to the bus stop, aware of the likes of Mrs Figg who were always snooping, looking out the latest source of gossip.

The journey to London was surprisingly uneventful, Harry kept his head down and his bag cuddled tight to his chest, and no one disturbed him. Even as he made his way through The Leaky Cauldron and down Diagon Alley, he kept expecting someone to start pointing and shouting at him but nothing happened. He cautiously glanced around and realised everyone was too busy with their own things to pay any attention to some slightly strange looking woman. Breathing a sigh of relief Harry relaxed, though still kept his head down as he knew his eyes were a hell of a giveaway. Once he was finally inside the bank he looked around, keeping to the wall and trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible. It didn't take him long to notice some flashes of red hair coming in through the door. Several people turned to look at the Weasleys' arrival and Harry suddenly got an idea of how people were able to notice him so quickly on all of his previous visits. Mrs Weasley, Ron and Ginny made their way across the foyer to a figure in bright turquoise robes, that could only be Albus Dumbledore himself. A goblin greeted them, Harry was too far away to hear what was said, but when they started being led down a corridor he saw his chance and quickly pulled out his invisibility cloak. He kept close to the walls as he followed the party, trying to keep them in sight but not getting too close and risking discovery. He had just rounded a corner when long, cold fingers wrapped around his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"Just where do you think you're going. You should know invisibility cloaks are useless in here so don't expect to get anywhere."  
In a moment of panic Harry quickly pulled the goblin under the cloak.

"Please," he whispered, looking towards the party that was thankfully walking down a long, straight corridor. "I promise I don't mean the bank any harm. I'm Harry Potter." He lifted up his fringe to show off his scar, for once thankful it was easily recognisable.

"You're dressed as a woman."

"I know, I've had to escape. I received your letter about the will reading," he fished the letter out of the bag, "but someone is trying to stop me from attending. I need to find out what could be so important that someone feels the need to imprison me to keep me away."

"And you don't know who this person is, who doesn't want you here today?" the goblin asked, carefully examining both Harry and the letter.

"No, no idea, but please, I need to go. I need to find out what's going on." The goblin stared into Harry's eyes. Harry had a strong urge to fidget under the penetrating gaze but bit his lip and held strong. After what felt like an eternity the goblin blinked.

"Well then, Mr Potter, I believe you had best follow me. My name is Abax. Keep the cloak on though, and keep quiet, I think you may find this meeting quite enlightening."

Abax had Harry follow closely behind him as he led the way to the meeting room, stopping to brush some imaginary lint of his robes, allowing enough time for Harry to sneak into the room behind him before closing the door. Harry quickly settled himself against the wall, he thought that the other goblin in the room had looked at him, but Abax made his way to the front of the room, diverting everyone's attention.

"Glad to see you've finally arrived Abax," the other goblin said, "now, ladies and gentlemen, we can commence with the reading of the last will and testament of Sirius Orion Black. This is Abax, the Black family account manager, and my name is Linux, the head of inheritance division, and it is my duty to see that the wishes of the late Mr Black are fulfilled. Thankfully, Mr Black's wishes are quite simple in that they have left everything to his godson, one Harry Potter, who unfortunately doesn't appear to be present."

"That would be my fault, Linux," Dumbledore spoke with an air of wisdom, "Mr Potter has taken the death of his godfather very hard indeed and has asked that I work on his behalf. I have a signed letter here granting me power of attorney over all of Mr Potter's assets."

"Is that true?" Abax asked.

"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore said "he made quite a mess of my office after that dreadful affair at the ministry."

"And I believe Mr Weasley, Mr Potter's closest friend can add more on the subject," Dumbledore prompted.

"What, uh, yeah. Harry went to bits after Snuffles, I mean Sirius was blown through the veil by that bitch."

"Ronald Weasley!"

"Sorry, mum, I meant Bellatrix. But, yeah, he was really broken up, still is, definitely not stable."

"As I was saying," interrupted Dumbledore, "Mr Potter is grieving deeply at the moment and, as such, has asked that I continue looking after his finances."

"Continue?" asked Linux.

"I was named as Mr Potter's magical guardian with the death of his parents and have been incharge of his finances, as well as his well being. Obviously that would usually end when he turns 16 but given his current emotional instability, and his history of mental health issues, it's thought it would be best to let him concentrate on more important things."

"Thought by whom?"

"Oh, by Harry dear," Mrs Weasley piped up.

"You know this for a fact do you?" questioned Abax.

"Of course I do," Molly bristled, "I'm a second mother to that boy, he told me so himself last Christmas, Ron here has been his best friend since their first trip on the Hogwarts express and Ginny and Harry are practically engaged. If anyone knows that boy we do."

"Quite right my dear," interrupted Dumbledore, "now Harry did ask me to set up a donation to the Order of the Phoenix, to help fund our fight against the threat from dark wizards, if we are finished here I thought we might be able to set that up Abax, as well as sort out restitution payments what with Mr Black being a convicted death eater."

"And don't forget covering Ron and Ginny's school fees. That Harry is such a generous boy."

"Right Molly, thank you for reminding me."

With that Dumbledore and the goblins left, leaving the Weasleys in a seemingly empty room. Harry was, however, still sat in his corner, silently fuming but determined not to make a sound. He could hardly believe what he had heard with his own two ears but he refused to let them win. He would let them think they'd gotten away with it then take full control once he turned 16 and cut them off entirely. Hell, he might even disappear and leave them to deal with Voldemort on their own. The sound of Molly shouting brought Harry out of his thoughts.

"That ungrateful layabout! After all I did for him, sorting out that awful house, cleaning up after that monstrous creature and not even a slight thank you. Leaving it all to that idiot, as if he needed more."

"It's so unfair," moaned Ron, "why does everyone think he's so great. Always going on about how good he is at flying, how good he is a defense. Even that useless Longbottom got praised for what happened at the ministry but no one ever mentions me. And what's this about him and Ginny, last I heard you were with Dean, or was it Terry Boot."

"Oh don't worry, brother dear, I'm playing the long game with Harry, the others are just to keep me entertained. Harry gets freaked out by intimacy, just ask Cho about their awful kiss. Though if the rumor mill is correct you might have better luck with him than me."

Ron looked truly disgusted with the idea causing Ginny to crack up.

"Do be quiet, both of you we don't know when they might come back. I don't care which of you marries him as long as one of you does, and has a child with him. Don't make that face Ron, it's better than that know-all mudblood you insist on spending time with."

"Better than Bill's veela bitch" giggle Ginny.

The door opened again, preventing Molly from scolding her daughter for her language.

"Well my friends, shall we leave this fine institution, remember Harry wanted us to share a meal in Sirius's memory." Dumbledore announced, escorting the party out the room. The two goblins from before remained, along with another who'd come in as well.

When they knew Dumbledore and the Weasleys would be far enough away, Abax turned to face Harry.

"It's safe for you to come out now Mr Potter, tell me, what do you make of what you heard."

Harry pulled the invisibility cloak off himself, if the other goblins were surprised they hid it well. "That was the biggest load of bollocks I have ever heard!"


	3. Chapter 3

Harry was shaking with anger as he stood in front of three goblins in a meeting room in the heart of Gringotts bank. The Weasleys and Dumbledore had left and Harry was left trying to work through what he'd overheard. Apparently no one in his life was who he thought they were and Harry was struggling to deal with the information.

"So, you refute the claims of Professor Dumbledore?" Linux, asked.

"Damn right I do!" Harry took a deep breath to try and calm down, needing to prove to himself as well as the goblins that he wasn't who Dumbledore claimed he was. "Yes I was upset after Sirius's death and smashed up Dumbledore's office but that was because he had spent the whole year lying to me. If he had told me about the prophecy before, Sirius might still be here." He sighed, "but there's nothing I can do about that now. I didn't know anything about the will until your letter. I have never written any letter to give Dumbledore power of attorney or anything. The only time I've been to my vault before was 5 years ago and Hagrid had my vault key."

"Which one?" the new goblin asked.

"What do you mean? Hagrid just said he had my vault key and handed it to the teller."

"My apologies, Mr Potter, I am Kratz, the Potter family account manager and there are a number of vaults you have inherited from your father's side, as well as properties."

"This may be an appropriate time to perform an inheritance test. After that you can officially refute Professor Dumbledore's claims of power of attorney and can take control of your inheritance once you turn 16."

Harry nodded his head, the idea that he could have independence in a couple of weeks was a nice thought, even if he would have to wait a year to be able to perform magic outside of school. Not an overly daunting position; growing up in the muggle world was good for some things. Maybe he could even ask to be resorted as he didn't think he could be that close to the Weasleys and not want to kill them.

"Please hold out your hand Mr Potter," Linux said, holding an ornate dagger in his long fingers. "I will let 5 drops of blood fall on this parchment and it will confirm your inheritance."

Harry held out his hand which was surprisingly steady. He barely flinched as the dagger pricked his finger and watched as the goblins carefully squeezed out the blood, the red stain quickly absorbing into the parchment and swirling to form words.

Name: Harry James Potter  
Born: Hadrian Cygnus Malfoys  
Date of Birth: June 5th 1980  
Parents: Lucius Abraxus Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy (neé Black)  
Siblings: Draco Lucius Malfoy  
Adoptive Parents: James Fleamont Potter, Lily Potter (neé Evans)

Creature inheritance:  
¼ elven  
¼ fae

Inherited Abilities:  
Healing affinity  
Nature affinity

Inheritance:  
Potter heir (from adoptive parents),  
Black heir (from godfather Sirius Black)

Warning - blood magic detected:  
Glamour charm  
Obedience charm (partially broken)  
Magic dampener

Harry was in shock: he wasn't Harry Potter and he had a family.

"Very interesting Mr Potter, or should I say Mr Malfoy," Linux said, "it is wondrous to know that you are well, it was a great loss to the Malfoys and our side."

"Your side?"

"Yes Mr Malfoy, against Albus Dumbledore and his war against the magical world."

Harry, Hadrian was confused, "I always thought Dumbledore was fighting to save the magical world from darkness, from Voldemort."

"Mr Malfoy, maybe a trip to our healer first, to remove the blood magic placed on you and then maybe we can explain our side of things." Linux gestured to the door.

Harry hesitated. So much was happening, so much was changing, and he didn't know who he was let alone what to do. No one knew he was here, he could go back to the Dursley's and forget everything that he learnt here, go back to his life. There was comfort in the known but still, he could have everything he ever wanted by going through that door: a home, a family and no longer being the bloody boy who lived. Harry smirked, after all that he'd been through this morning, it was only 12:30 after all, maybe more change would be good. Harry, Hadrian, nodded to Linux and followed him out the door.

Hadrian stood in front of a conjured mirror. It had taken the goblin healers hours to clean his blood but he couldn't complain with the results. Firstly, he definitely didn't look like James Potter any more. He was still short, likely due to years of malnutrition, but at least he no longer needed glasses and his pale blue eyes were a lot less distinct than green. He supposed he did look like his father still, with long white blonde hair, higher cheekbones and regal nose he looked a bit like a mini Lucius Malfoy. He was frowning at that thought when the door to the room slammed open.

"Where is he, where's my baby!" A frantic woman with blonde hair and blue eyes that resembled his own, his new eyes, came rushing in only to stop and gape when she saw him. Close on her heels were Lucius and Draco Malfoy.

"What are you doing here, you're meant to be in prison!" Hadrian exclaimed pointing at Lucius.

"Hadrian Cygnus Malfoy, that is no way to talk to your father!"

"Some father," Hadrian scoffed, "the mans a death eater, he attacked Neville in the department of mysteries."

"How do you know that?" asked Lucius.

"If I can have everyone's attention I can explain," announced Linux, coming into the room with Abax and Kratz. "Mr and Mrs Malfoy, Master Draco, welcome to Gringotts may I introduce Master Hadrian Malfoy, formerly known as Harry Potter."

"What!"

"Oh my!"

"Potter!"

"Please, everyone calm down, getting worked up isn't going to help matters."

"Quite right Linux," said the woman, pulling herself together and radiating an aura of calm she made her way over to Hadrian. "Hello Hadrian, or do you prefer Harry?"

"I think I'll prefer Hadrian, ma'am."

"Ma'am" she muttered with a slightly pinched expression before replacing her mask of calm. "Well Hadrian, my name is Narcissa and I'm your mother. I realise that this must be very confusing for you right now but you must understand that it is confusing for us as well as we were under the impression you were dead."

"What!" Hadrian exclaimed.

"Narcissa is correct, Hadrian. There were complications during your birth, it took time, and you had stopped breathing by the time you were born. Narcissa was very weak so some healers looked after her while others rushed off with you and I looked after Draco. There was a lot of confusion but the healers told us you had never drawn breath. We were given a body. I never thought to question it."

Lucius looked broken, a long way away from the arrogant aristocrat Hadrian had previously met.

"I'm sorry," Hadrian whispered, not knowing how to deal with all the emotions inside him. He looked to Draco and saw the hurt in his eyes.

"I just want to know why. Why did you turn down my friendship all those years ago? I felt something when we met in Madame Malkin's and was desperate to be your friend, not because you were some hero but because I wanted to know what that meant. When you chose Weasley over me, it felt like I'd lost something really important."

"Honestly Malfoy, Draco, you were so arrogant when I met you and the way you spoke to Ron and Hermione, it reminded me of my cousin who used to bully me; I can't stand people like that."

"Your cousin bullied you?" Lucius asked, "Severus was under the impression you were a pompous, spoilt brat and told us the only way you would talk to anyone is if you thought they were your equals."

Hadrian scoffed. "Of course Snape told you that, he always thought I was arrogant though I don't know where he got that idea."

"Dumbledore," Lucius stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"On that note," said Linux, "perhaps we should have some tea, I feel we have a lot to discuss."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit short but it was the best place to end it. Don't worry though I'm writing more as fast as I can.


	4. Chapter 4

After the tea had been set up Abax and Kratz went through the initial audit they had done on Hadrian's accounts. Dumbledore had set up payments to go out of both Hadrian's accounts to go to the order, himself, the Weasleys and the Dursleys. Hadrian was also currently paying school fees for Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Dudley. Lucius was furious and demanded that the payments stop immediately.

"The funny thing is I would have done it anyway if they'd just asked." Hadrian sighed, feeling the betrayal cut deeper with each item that was announced. "I still can't believe that the Dursleys were getting paid and still treated me like that."

"Like what, dear," asked Narcissa.

"Making me do all the housework, starving me, only giving me hand-me-downs to wear and making me sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. They would beat me, call me a freak and say I should be grateful cos they were taking me in when they were getting paid to look after me all along."

"Beat you!"

"Starved you!"

"What do you mean cupboard under the stairs?"

"That was my life before I got my Hogwarts letter. After that they let me use Dudley's second bedroom, I think the fact that it was addressed to the cupboard freaked them out."

"Your Hogwarts letter was addressed to 'the cupboard under the stairs'" asked Lucius. Hadrian nodded. "So the old coot knew all along then. He checks the addresses himself before the letters go out. Did he know about the other bits as well?"

"Yes, I told him after my first year why I didn't want to go back but he said I had to."

Narcissa broke down and hugged him tight to her chest. "You never have to go back there again, sweetheart."

"Your mother is right, Hadrian and I want to apologize for how I have acted towards you in the past. Arthur Weasley was forever name dropping you at the ministry to get himself invited to gatherings, talking about what a wonderful life you were leading, how you thought muggle borns should have pride of place, and I'm afraid to say I believed him."

"Weasley was the same." Draco said. "Whenever you weren't there he would tell me about how all of you would laugh at me for having elf and fae blood, saying it basically made me a girl. That's why I always tried to insult you every chance I got."

"That's rubbish Malfoy, er Draco. I didn't even know about the creature blood until I did my inheritance test and I certainly don't think it makes you, or us, any less. I only didn't like the idea that purebloods thought they were better than everyone else."

"It's not that we think we're better," explained Lucius, "it's that when wizards and muggles procreate their children are weaker, more likely to be born a squib. Inbreeding can cause the same problem which is why we used to have children with magical creatures, until Dumbledore stopped it. Creature blood also helps strengthen us, just look at Grindelwald, he was half dragon, and the example Dumbledore used to bring about his anti-creature laws."

"What about Voldemort?" Hadrian asked, ignoring the shudders of everyone in the room at the mention of that name.

"Tom wasn't actually a half blood, his grandmother was a witch, albeit very weak, and had chosen to live in the muggle world. His father was likewise weak, but did have magic, so when he had a child with Merope Gaunt, a pureblood, it wasn't overly surprising he was strong."

"I didn't realise everyone knew about his real name."

"Of course we did," said Lucius, "Tom was a great politician and was doing a lot of good work promoting the rights of magical creatures and trying to reign in Dumbledore's power. We don't know what happened. He had gone to Hogwarts to apply for the position of Defense against the dark arts professor after there had been a string of awful teachers. He was a bit confused when he came back so Regulus brought him round to the manor so I could check him out. I couldn't find anything wrong but in the morning he suddenly started talking about muggles trying to take over and needing to eradicate them. To this day we still don't know what happened, I think Regulus had come up with something but he disappeared."

Hadrian was very confused. "So you don't hate all muggles and muggleborn. You don't believe purebloods are superior?"

"Purebloods are typically stronger, especially if they have creature blood. There are some exceptions, of course, just look at your friend Miss Granger. Draco is always put out when she scores higher than him, you know how competitive he gets."

Hadrian chuckled thinking about their quidditch rivalry. "I suppose, though she does work very hard for her grades. She always reads all the books the summer before and even practices wand-work with sticks to make sure she knows it before she starts."

"Ha," said Draco, "I knew she couldn't be that much better than me."

"No, it means your slacking on your studies, Draco." Narcissa's smile only grew as her son's face fell causing Hadrian to chuckle.

"I don't know why you're laughing, brother, they'll expect the same from you as well."

"Honestly, it'll be nice to not have to rush my homework on the train before school. If the OWLs taught me anything it's that I could definitely do with studying more."

"If you want to come back to the manor with us there are plenty of opportunities for that," Narcissa said hopefully.

"Is that possible?" Hadrian asked, "won't Tom still be after me, especially with the prophecy."

"I thought you had destroyed it before you saw it?" Lucius asked.

"I did but Dumbledore showed me a memory of it which is when I got so mad at him I trashed his office." Draco sniggered and Narcissa tried to hold back a smile. Lucius didn't even pretend to be upset. 

"Oh dear, that is a shame. I do hope he wasn't overly upset at your outburst."

"Unfortunately not. He just used it as evidence of my mental instability. I'm pretty sure he's telling everyone I'm bulimic to explain why I'm so skinny."

"I saw the healer reports," said Lucius, "they sickened me. I'm sure it's only thanks to your elven blood that you're still here. I worry about sending you back to that place but I don't want to force you to do anything. I understand this is very new for you, Hadrian but I promise I will not let anything happen to you again."

"We all will," agreed Narcissa.

"Thank you, but I think I need a bit of time, there's a lot of new information to digest. The Dursley's are away for the week and nobody knows I got out of the room so I'll be safe for a while."

"Hadrian, would it be OK if I came with you. I know we haven't been close but I always wanted a brother and would like a chance to get to know you, the real you."

"That sounds good to me, I've always wanted a family too."

Lucius and Narcissa agreed on the condition that they each have an emergency port key to the manor in case they got into trouble.

Before they left the goblins presented Harry with his family rings, a sign that he was head of both the Potter and Black houses.

"They have protection spells built in," said Linux, "and can be hidden at will. Once they are on only you can remove them." Hadrian thanked him. "We have put a stop to all of the transactions on your account, as you wished Master Hadrian, but what would you like to do about your seats on the Wizengamot."

Hadrian looked to Lucius."The choice is your son, they are your seats not mine. If you would like some advice, however," Hadrian nodded, "then I would suggest you wait to claim them. There are no major votes pending at the moment and if you are right, and Dumbledore knows nothing of what's happened today, then it might be a good idea to keep him in the dark as long as possible."

"OK, thank you, we'll do that."

"If that is the case would you like a goblin charm to alter your appearance back?"

"Thank you, Linux, that will be an excellent idea, a necklace if you will, take the funds out of vault 3 please."

"Very well Mr Malfoy, it will be waiting for you at the front desk. Master Hadrian, when you wish to take your seats simply present your rings to the Wizengamot. You will have to nominate a proxy while you are still in school."

"Thank you, Linux, for all your help today, would I be able to get some money out as muggle money."

Linux directed them to a teller and after getting everything they needed all four Malfoys bid thanks to the goblins before leaving and apperating to Surrey.

They made their way cautiously to Privet Drive, Hadrian warning them about Mrs Figg and her twitching curtains. The Malfoys were equally fascinated and horrified at the uniformity of the neighborhood, Draco even commented that he was no longer surprised Hadrian did so well in the maze during the trip wizard tournament and that maybe Hadrian had been slacking. Hadrian was initially angry at the reminder of such a traumatic moment for him before he recognized the good natured ribbing for what it was and questioned if Draco would have made it past the dragons when he couldn't even handle a hippogriff. Both parents vehemently denied laughing at that.

Hadrian unlocked the house and, once Lucius had run some quick checks to make sure the house was safe, the adults bid the children farewell with promises to use their port-keys at the first sign of trouble. Hadrian was surprised to get a hug goodbye from both parents and asked Draco if it was always like that.

"Not in public of course, but they hug me all the time at home."

"All the time?"

"Not literally. But in the morning, before bed, if they're going out, when they come back, that sort of thing. I thought that was normal."

"I don't know. The Weasleys never really hugged, except Ginny, and given that she was apparently going to marry me I don't think that counts."

"Really, she kept telling all the girls you were gay."

"She what! No, I'm not gay, that's just wrong. I fancied Cho."

"Calm down, Haddy, it's fine either way, but why do you think it's wrong to be gay?"

"I don't know, the Dursley's always used to go on about how disgusting it is and then Ron pulled a face when Ginny suggested he marry me instead."

"Well they are hardly the authorities on anything. For the record, the wizarding world doesn't really care who you love, except for Dumbledore and his creature laws. Heck, our uncle Janus, who lives in France is in a triad with a male vampire and a hermaphrodite."

"Oh," was all Hadrian could think to say to that.

"Precisely, mama and papa are going to love you no matter who you love Haddy so don't worry."

"Fine then, Drakey, but I'm hungry so do you want pizza, Indian or Chinese."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I've started to explain the Malfoy and so called dark side position a bit. I will be going into it in more depth later on but if you think I've missed something feel free to let me know.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: when I started this story I had planned on updating once a week. To try and help this I wanted to have written at least 4 chapters ahead of where I was publishing in the hopes of getting me past any writers block I might get. However I'm finding that the story is evolving as I'm writing it and I'm having to tweak bits before publishing so that it fits in as I've been forgetting some of what I've written and as such I don't want to be more than 5 chapters ahead at any point for fear of having to rewrite too much.
> 
> This all means that you lovely people get a second chapter today because, apparently, kudos and comments feed my muse and I've already managed to write a chapter this morning.
> 
> Thank you

Draco had no idea about food and unfortunately Hadrian didn't either, never being allowed to have takeout before, but he was sure he'd heard people say you couldn't go wrong with pizza, he ordered a couple of large ones to be safe and some coke.

"Where are you wanting to eat, Draco?"  
"At the table of course, where else would we eat?"

"Fair enough, I assume you'll want to use cutlery as well."

"What else are you going to eat with, your hands? Please Haddy, what are you, an animal? Mama would be so disappointed."

Hadrian chuckled as he got out some cutlery. "There are exceptions you know."

"Really, Haddy. Well when I see this food appears via whatever muggle you've utilized, maybe I'll change my mind."

"It's called technology."

Draco complained about the inferiority of muggle 'technology' and how long it took for the food to arrive but thankfully didn't complain about the taste. They talked about Harry's adventures and Draco was impressed that Hermione had managed to brew polyjuice potion in second year.

"Uncle Sev was adamant it was you who stole it but as usual Dumbledore wouldn't do anything about it."

"Didn't make any difference anyway, though it was interesting to see inside Slytherin common room."

"Entirely unfair brother, I will expect you to return the favor. I can't wait to see the looks on all those Gryffindork's faces when I show up."

"That's the thing, are mum and dad going to be OK if I stay in Gryffindor."

"Of course, why do you think they wouldn't."

"Well, Sirius's mum disowned him because he was in Gryffindor."

"I hate to speak ill of the dead but the reason great aunt Walburga disowned Sirius was because he sexually assaulted cousin Reggie."

"You're joking!"

"I wish, look I know he was your godfather, and you have no reason to believe me, but I promise it's true."

"Don't worry Draco, I don't think you'd lie about something as serious as that and I know Sirius was no saint. I may have looked in Professor Snape's pensieve and seen what he was like at school."

"Really! And he knows," Hadrian nodded, "I'm not sure how you're still alive."

"It was a close call. I think he really hates me now though. I had thought about trying to get resorted into Slytherin, what with being a Malfoy now, but I don't think he'd be too happy."

"You know you wouldn't necessarily get sorted into Slytherin just because you're a Malfoy."

"I know, but given that the sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin in first year, I figured I had a good shot."

"What do you mean it wanted to put you in Slytherin?"

"Well it told me I would do well in Slytherin but a certain person had acted like a total part each time I'd met him, plus Ron and Hagrid kept going on about it being full of dark wizards so I asked for anywhere but there."

"And it listened! Damn you Haddy. You know you're right, I don't think uncle Sev will forgive you for that. He's been most upset about Gryffindor winning all the trophies."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, brother."

Draco smiled. "Seriously though, I don't know if I could see Harry Potter in Slytherin."

"But I'm Hadrian Malfoy now, not Harry Potter."

"Your name may have changed but you're still the same person. A rose by any other name and all that."

"Quoting muggles now Draco?"

"Shakespeare was a wizard, Haddy or do you sleep through all of your history of magic lessons."

"Um, pass."

Draco shook his head in exasperation. "You know papa isn't going to let you slack off like that now, regardless of which house you're in."

Hadrian started to get worried. "What will happen if I don't, you know, live up to expectations?"

"Oh, just a couple of minutes of cruciatus, nothing major."

"What!"

"I'm joking, Haddy. I don't know what rubbish the Weasleys have been spreading but mama and papa have never lifted a hand or a wand to me and never will. Neither would Uncle Sev in case you're worried about that."

"No, I'm not worried Professor Snape would hurt me. In fact he's saved my life at least once already, and that's when he thought I was James Potter's son."

"Papa always joked he had a soft spot for you."

"If that's his soft spot I'd hate to see what happens when he truly hates someone."

"Just wait till we get back after he hears about what the Weasleys have done. Those two won't be able to breathe without earning a detention."

"Is it bad that I like the sound of that."

"Maybe the sorting hat was right Haddy, you'd make a pretty good Slytherin."

Hadrian found Dudley's treat store and persuaded Draco to eat them on Dudley's bed so they could watch movies, the Malfoy's house elf Minty having brought some things round for Draco. Hadrian was a little shocked at how neat the house elf looked and that it was wearing a nice looking tabard with the Malfoy family crest on.

"Have you not seen a family house elf before."

"Yes but Dobby didn't look anything like that."

"You met Dobby? When?"

"Before second year, he tried to get me expelled so I wouldn't go to school. He knew Lucius was planning something that would put me at risk." Hadrian began feeling apprehensive again about his family and it must have shown on his face because Draco came over and gave him a hug.

"Whatever you're thinking brother I promise you're wrong. Papa never tried to hurt you, at least not directly. We talked about the fact that you could be a risk again after that farce with Quirrell but he never planned anything."

"But the diary?"

"What diary? Oh, you mean Tom's diary. He said he planned on planting it with the Weasley girl to try and turn people against them, to stop the muggle rights act which would further diminish the rights of magical creatures. That had nothing to do with you."

Hadrian laughed, "except, brother, that diary contained the spirit of Tom Riddle that took over Ginny, released the Basilisk and tried to kill me."

"Fuck! Seriously!"

"Yep."

"But are you sure it possessed her, because a person usually has to be willing to be possessed. Or it takes a heck of a lot of magic."

"We are talking about Tom Riddle."

"I suppose, still what happened to the Basilisk?"

"I killed it."

"You killed it! When you were 13!"

"Technically I was still only 12 and I had help from Fawkes. He blinded it and brought me the sorting hat so I could pull out the sword of Gryffindor so I could kill it."

"That's still bloody impressive, Haddy."

"It did manage to poison me but Fawkes cried on me to save me."

"Shit, how many times have you nearly died?"

"Well when I was 1 obviously. Quirrell in 1st year, the Basilisk in 2nd, Remus Lupin as a werewolf then dementors in 3rd, Voldemort in 4th if you don't count those bloody tasks which were horrible. Then I was attacked by dementors last summer and then the attack at the ministry."

"Fuck Haddy! Do me a favor, though, and don't take me on any adventures please."

"No problem Draco. Though speaking of the ministry attack, how did Lucius get off."

"Uncle Sev and I said we had sent him a message that you had gone there and should get you, which was true by the way. The Wizengamot thought he was there to rescue you and the dark lord thought he was there to fight you so it worked out really."

"But what was he really trying to do?"

"Trying to get the prophecy. Tom Riddle wasn't always the Voldemort you know. There was a time when he was a great politician, fighting for the rights of magical creatures. He was also one of papa's best friendsL Papa was hoping the prophecy would give him some clue to try and get his friend back. Haddy, I wasn't there so I can't speak for what happened. What I can tell you is papa loves you. It devastated him and mama when they thought you were dead. They put a memorial to you in the garden and papa goes out to talk to it every day. Heck you're the reason they didn't have anymore kids, because losing you almost killed them and they couldn't risk it happening again. I know you're worried about being Harry Potter but that won't change the fact that your Hadrian Malfoy and family, to a Malfoy, means more than anything else, so please try and forgive papa."

Hadrian nodded and hugged his brother back. He wanted to believe them, wanted a family, but he'd been betrayed so much he didn't know if he'd ever be able to completely trust them. "I'll try Draco, I want to believe in you, in them. I want a family."

"Don't worry brother, I'm afraid you've got us whether you want it or not."

Haddy smiled and suggested they get ready for bed before settling down on Dudley's bed to watch some films.

While they waited for the film to load up Haddy remembered what he was going to ask earlier.

"Drake, why did Minty look so different to Dobby?"

"Well the thing with Dobby was he was always a bit unstable. Apparently papa once suggested bashing his head against the wall to knock some sense into him because he kept messing up and Dobby took him literally. Ever since, every time he messed up he thought that he had to hurt himself to get better."

"So you never actively punished him."

"Gods no! You don't hurt house elves; it's considered a blessing if they choose to serve you."

"And if someone forced you to set one free?"

"Why would anyone, wait, that was you! I will say papa was very impressed. Maybe the sorting hat was right, you would have done well in Slytherin."

Draco decided that elven blood was annoying as it meant he couldn't get a build like Daniel Craig and so couldn't be as cool as James Bond. Haddy then introduced him to Pierce Brosnan's bond in GoldenEye but argued he thought Indiana Jones was better. They both ended up falling asleep about halfway through the last crusade but Hadrian had to agree with Draco that muggles had no idea what magic was really like.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haddy learns how to fantasize as he explores his sexuality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter of smut, in case this isn't your thing you have been warned.

When Hadrian woke up he realized two things. The first, that he was pressed up against a warm hard body, his fingers stroking smooth skin covering strong muscles. The second was that parts of his body definitely liked that. Growing up with the Dursley's always going on about filthy homos and their unnatural ways; he had always thought, deep down, that that was true. But since talking with Draco yesterday, and his obvious reaction this morning maybe that was another belief he was going to have to reevaluate. He thought back to his dream last night, of long dark hair and dark eyes, that he had previously attributed to Cho Chang but when he remembered that they had been accompanied by long, pale fingers wrapped around his cock and a deep, baritone voice saying "Good boy, that's it." His cock twitched and he couldn't hold back a whimper.  
"Haddy, I love you, you're my brother, so I don't mind you using me for a pillow but I refuse to let you hump my leg," came an aristocratic drawl from above his head.  
Hadrian jumped back in shock, or at least he tried only to find his leg sticking, evidence of the effect of the previous night's dream.  
"Oh my god Drake, I'm so sorry," Hadrian blushing crimson at being caught in such a predicament.  
"Don't worry about it Haddy, it happens to us all. We are teenagers after all. Plus I now have excellent blackmail material on you. Did you know you talk in your sleep, I hope you've used silencing charms in the dorm or it might not be much of a secret."  
To say Hadrian was mortified would be an understatement, his cheeks were so hot he thought he might combust there and then. He must have mumbled something about how he had to have good silencing charms because of the nightmares as Draco quipped "Good good, better for me".  
Hadrian thought he thoroughly deserved to be pushed off the bed for that.  
"Oi you brute! You'd better be nice to me or I may not be able to control what I say next time I meet our snarky potions professor. "  
"I thought brothers were supposed to look after each other not put them at risk of being flayed alive."  
"Don't exaggerate Haddy. And people call me a drama queen." Draco accompanied that statement with an over the top eye roll, proving the title was well deserved. "Anyway I assume there's some sort of washing facility in this house and some muggle version of cleaning potions. Unfortunately somebody managed to get me quite sticky this morning."  
Hadrian explained how the shower worked, sarcastically pointing out that bottles with the word hair on were for his hair and body were for his body. Draco, not appreciating Hadrian's wit, suggested Haddy use his time on his own to deal with the 'not so little problem in his trousers'.

Hadrian made his way to his own bed, peeling off his sticky pajamas as he went. Lying down on his back and closing his eyes Hadrian began to slowly stroke himself. He thought about Cho and tried to imagine it was her but instantly felt himself soften. 'Guess that answers that' he thought. He tried to remember his dream. He knew he'd been in the potions classroom, stood in front of Snape's desk, dark eyes boring into him. Snape had been reprimanding him about something.  
"I'm getting tired of repeating myself, Mr Malfoy, so we are going to try something new. Put your hands on the desk and lean forward."  
Hadrian imagined complying, his dick, hard as rock in his hand, began leaking. In his mind he saw Snape stand up and walk behind him, lifting up his robes. Hadrian imagined he was naked underneath.  
"Well, well, well, it appears that you're a very naughty boy. Coming into my classroom half dressed."  
In Hadrian's mind, long pale fingers trailed gently over his exposed backside before coming down in a sharp hard slap causing his cock to jump in his hand. He imagined that hand coming down again and again, thought of the sting as his cheeks turned red, his own hand speeding up at the thought. As he felt himself nearing completion, Snape's fingers wrapped around his shaft, his own mirroring, stemming the on coming tide.  
"Oh dear, Mr Malfoy, it does appear that you've been enjoying your punishment and we can't have that. Suck my fingers."  
Hadrian put the fingers of his free hand into his mouth, licking and sucking as he moved them in and out.  
"That's it Mr Malfoy, get them nice and wet. Your mouth does look so pretty wrapped around them like that. I wonder if it would look as good wrapped around my cock."  
Hadrian whimpered and had to grip himself tighter as an image of him on his knees in front of Snape briefly flashed into his head. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before bending his legs and shuffling his hips forward to expose himself. He imagined Snape spreading his cheeks and staring at his hole before gently stroking it, reality mimicking fiction.  
"I wonder, Mr Malfoy, has anyone touched you here before?" Hadrian shook his head and began circling his finger round the tight furl of muscle.  
"Do you want me to be your first, Haddy? Do you want your greasy potions professor to be the one to take your virginity?"  
Hadrian pushed his finger in his tight hole, his eyes flying open at the burning sensation. It felt strange, like he was full, but it wasn't terrible. He tried moving it, just a little at first but then the burning fell away and just felt good. Hadrian moaned as his toes curled into the mattress; he closed his eyes, trying to chase his fantasy.  
Suddenly he was back in the dungeon, Snape leaning over his back as fingers now pistoned in and out of his arse.  
"That's it Haddy, fuck yourself on my fingers. Your so hot and tight round one finger I can just imagine how you'd feel around my cock. Look at you pushing back on my fingers, fucking yourself on them as you moan like a wanton whore. Do you like that, do you like the idea of being my pretty little whore, ready to take my cock whenever and however I want. Tell me what you want?"  
"Please sir," begged Hadrian as his hands work in and on himself, "pleased let me come." Hadrian imagined Snape strethougho across his back, bringing his lips right up to his ear and whispering.  
"Then do it, Haddy, come for me."  
Haddy screamed his release as his body arched high off the bed. He came back down, panting as if he'd run a marathon, never having come so hard in his life.  
"Guess it wasn't a fluke then," said Draco as he stood in the door smirking.  
"How long have you been standing there?"  
"Long enough dear brother, now get in the shower you're positively disgusting."  
"Love you too Draco. Are you OK to wait for breakfast?"  
"I was just going to call Minty back and ask her to make it."  
"Please don't, when Dobby came before and was doing magic I almost got expelled."  
"Don't want that now do we, you wouldn't be able to lust after our favourite potions master."  
"Fuck you, Draco."  
"No thanks sweetie, I don't do incest. Though I will admit you looked quite hot. Oh, maybe I could take a picture next time and give it to him."  
"Bugger off," Hadrian said, throwing a pillow at him but Draco dodged it easily.  
"I'm going, but get that cute little butt in the shower you're filthy."  
Hadrian blushed as he remembered his fantasy which caused Draco to laugh all the way down stairs.

In the shower Hadrian took his time washing, after scrubbing off the sticky residue Hadrian thought he'd try playing with his nipples. He gently brushed over them at first and watched as they started to harden. He tried flicking them and his cock started twitch in interest. He closed his eyes and again imagined long, pale fingers scratching and had to bite back a moan. He looked down at the tight little nubs and tried squeezing and it felt good. He closed his eyes again and imagined the predatory look on his fantasy face as he pinched and twisted Hadrian's nipples causing him to gasp.  
"You like the pain don't you Haddy. It makes you feel good. You like my nails scratching you, or is it just my hands. I know you liked having my finger inside you."  
Hadrian had started stroking himself again but now looked at the shower gel. Spit hadn't worked very well, his fingers hadn't been slippery enough in his tight entrance but maybe that would help. He poured some onto his hand, slicking up his fingers as he experimentally pushed one in. The soap stung but his finger slid in more easily and he managed to get it deeper than before. It slid in and out easily and he began to feel the muscles relax. The idea that a penis could fit inside such a tight space freaked him out a bit but he knew it must be possible so he tried pushing another finger in. It stung again and he felt really full but he slowly massaged around the rim, taking some deep breaths to relax, and the muscles began to ease. He soon had two fingers buried deep inside and went back to his fantasy.  
"That's it Haddy, work yourself open for me. Such a good boy, getting your tight hole ready for my big cock. Move them now and stretch your fingers apart, that's it. You want my cock in there don't you, want me filling you up."  
He brushed past a spot inside that sent sparks of pleasure through his body. He twisted his fingers, trying to find that spot again, taking them out and trying to find a better angle. He could barely hold back his moan when he hit it again and became conscious that Draco was just downstairs. Not wanting to make too much noise he grabbed a flannel and shoved it in his mouth. He took hold of his cock added a third finger, finding that wonderful spot again as he worked himself open. He liked the fact that his mouth was full and got down on his knees, imagining it was Snape's cock filling his mouth as he fucked himself on his fingers. It wasn't long before he came again, so hard it nearly hit his chin. Realising he must have been in there a while he quickly cleaned down the shower and got dressed hoping Draco wouldn't have noticed.

When Hadrian finally entered the kitchen the first thing he saw was Minty magically cleaning the oven while Draco flicked through one of his aunts magazines.  
"Draco, what did I say."  
"Good to see you finally made it down brother. Don't worry about Minty, she said she adjusted the wards so they won't detect her magic."  
"I didn't realise you could do that, thank you Minty, and thank you for breakfast it smells lovely."  
Minty nodded her head in appreciation. "Mr Malfoy also sent you a potion, Master Hadrian, to take after your meal."  
Hadrian was a little apprehensive, "what sort of potion?"  
"It's a nutrient potion. Its to try and counter the effects of long term malnutrition." Draco explained, "it might mean you eventually grow as tall as me little brother. Well done for finally making it down to breakfast," he continued, only now looking away from the magazine, "but what in gods' name are you wearing? You're a Malfoy now there are standards to maintain."  
"Unfortunately, Mrs Dursley wasn't informed of that fact so only deigned to give me Dudley's cheap cast offs, not even his good stuff."  
"Well now you have access to your own vaults I insist on taking you shopping because I refuse to be seen with you looking like that."  
"Oh no! What a shame. Anyway it's probably not a good idea for us to go walking around Diagon Alley together unless we want to announce to Dumbledore that we know."  
"Good point Haddy, I guess we'll have to try shopping in the muggle world instead."  
"You sneaky git, you just want to see what muggle shopping is like."  
"But look at this," Draco exclaimed pointing to an article in the magazine comparing face creams. "How can they have so many potions that do the same thing but vary so much in price!"  
"It's to do with the ingredients, how they're made, sometimes the brand."  
"I have no idea you mean by brand but it doesn't matter. I know you were thinking of going shopping or you wouldn't have exchanged so much money at Gringotts so, as your brother I insist on accompanying you as I don't trust you to make appropriate fashion decisions."  
Hadrian rolled his eyes, "whatever you say Draco but I know you're secretly dying of curiosity. Fine, we'll go after I finish breakfast."  
Draco insisted on redressing Hadrian and doing his hair before they left, huffing and shaking his head in apparent disgust at what he had to work with. Thankfully, for Hadrian at least, it wasn't too long before Draco deemed him passable enough to be seen in public and they could make their way to the bus stop and then the mall.

Not 10 minutes after the boys had walked around the corner of Privet Drive a dark figure stalked down the drive of number 4, got his wand out to open the door, and silently slipped inside.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Need I say more than Draco vs the mall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much joy writing this I couldn't wait to post it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Hadrian couldn't contain his laughter at the look on Draco's face when he saw the mall, especially when he realized it was one of many throughout England. Hadrian had to remind him that there were a lot more muggles than wizards which seemed to mollify his brother slightly. Unfortunately it only lasted until he walked in.  
"Oh gods Haddy, how do you stand Diagon Alley when you have this!"  
"It's not like I really got much chance to enjoy it."  
"But still! How do wizards only have 20 shops when muggles have hundreds?"  
"Don't exaggerate Draco, there's like 70, 80 tops."  
"Stop trying to be coy Haddy I can see you smirking. What's that shop over there just selling cakes? K-r-i…"  
"It's pronounced crispy cream and they're called doughnuts."  
"Doesn't matter, they look amazing, let's get some."  
"Draco, we only just ate breakfast and we're supposed to be getting me clothes."  
"Clothes, yes, and hair products. Don't grouse we have an image to maintain now. Don't roll your eyes at me either, shopping now, doughnuts later."  
"Fine, just remind me to keep you away from Starbucks."  
"What's that?"  
"Nothing Draco, now come on, shopping."

Hadrian wondered if he'd ever regretted a phrase more in his life; he did, however, learn many things because of it. He learned that in a good pair of jeans his arse looked damn good though leather trousers looked even better. Draco suggested he should try the bad boy look and Hadrian suggested he'd read too many of Petunia's magazines.

They had, of course, eventually come across a Starbucks.  
"So what do they sell in there?"  
"Toilet water."  
"Really? For £5, that's nearly a galleon. I no muggles aren't the smartest but they can't be that stupid."  
"Well, maybe you'd be surprised."  
Draco unfortunately hadn't bought it and had flagged down a passing stranger and asked. The poor person informed Draco they sold coffee and cake, not actual toilet water, although some people did query the quality.  
"So let's go try a muggle coffee then. I'm curious what all the different names mean."  
"But, Draco, look, that shop sells shoes."  
"A whole shop dedicated to selling shoes, that's amazing, let's go," Haddy started turning, "right after I get my coffee."  
Draco eventually decided to try a frappuccino, iced coffee who knew, but wanted to order one of every flavor syrup in order to find his favorite. Haddy managed to persuade him against it by pointing out that if he drank that much coffee he'd lose precious shopping time to the toilet. In hindsight it might have been a preferable option.

Hadrian learned that Malfoys don't share, especially when they aren't the same size, even if it's only an inch difference, which frequently led to them buying two of pretty much everything.  
Apparently it was immensely short sighted of Haddy to only get enough money out for a few outfits for himself and not consider the possibility that they might have to by the whole mall, twice, which led him to learn house elves are able to retrieve money from Gringotts if they have a letter bearing the account holders magical signature and disabled toilets are a convenient place in which to undertake such transactions. That's not to say Hadrian and Draco didn't get some funny looks when they emerged from said toilet together but as Draco pointed out, "why should I care what some stupid muggles I'm never going to see again think, and, for that matter why should you?"  
Hadrian hadn't been able to come up with a decent argument against that but definitely refuted the idea that Draco was always right.  
The most important thing he learned, though, was that Voldemort and Grindelwald combined were no match for a caffeinated, sugar high Draco Malfoy on a shopping spree and he may well have created a monster especially when Draco suggested they bring Mama next time.

It was a very enlightening day for Draco as well; apparently muggles were not as dumb as he thought. They had some very good food, Krispy Kreme doughnuts were now his favourite and he was wondering how he could get a steady supply to Hogwarts when term started as he still had so many flavors to try. Muggle coffee was significantly stronger than wizarding coffee and he no longer wondered how they managed without pepper-up potions. At one point Hadrian had bought some sort of drink called Red Bull (which he thought was a very weird name) and he had refused to let Draco even try a sip. He had never thought of his brother as selfish before that point but was now revising his opinion; he was very proud. Muggles were also a very creative bunch and found a whole host of ways to get around not having magic, however he refused to admit that any muggle invention was better than magic regardless of what Hadrian said. He would admit that, in general, muggles had a better aesthetic sense than wizards but that obviously didn't pertain to Malfoys. They did have better hair and skin potions (products, whatever) and he would have to ask the house elves to put some more shelves in his bathroom. Who knew it could be so easy to keep his blonde hair nice and bright though he didn't necessarily like the idea that other people could mimic his family's trademark look. They also seemed to have a better understanding of what was needed to maintain one's looks. The woman at the clinique counter had shown this when she proclaimed he had the most perfect skin she'd ever seen. Haddy was clearly deluding himself when he said that was the main reason Draco had insisted on buying them both the entire skin care range. Shopping with his brother was useful though as they had very similar builds, if Haddy was a bit scrawny, which meant Haddy made a near perfect model. Haddy did bemoan the amount of time Draco spent appraising the aesthetic of different outfits, or checking out his arse as Haddy so crudely put it, but Draco had never had the chance to truly see how an outfit looked on him before. Maybe he could look into the use of polyjuice potion.

What was apparent to him, however, is that next time they came they would need to wear comfy shoes and inform Gringotts to have plenty of muggle currency in because if Haddy thought Draco was a shopaholic he was going to be in for a shock when he saw Narcissa. There was apparently some sort of muggle artifact called a 'credit card' that negated the need to get money from the bank. Draco could well understand the necessity for such an invention. Haddy had muttered something sales but the annoying git refused to elaborate so maybe he would have to make an effort to get to know some muggle borns when he got back to school.

They had been shopping for a long time, only a few hours according to Draco but Haddy could've sworn he'd lost a few years, and had not only acquired a vast array of bags each but had both gotten hair cuts, manicures and their ears pierced. Hadrian was well and truly shopped out and was trying to persuade Draco to leave with the promise to book a spa session for another day, apparently it had been a ridiculous notion that they didn't have anything free that day, when he noticed the Ann Summers shop. He may not have been in before but he could remember Petunia ranting after having been to an Ann Summers party last year and he was very intrigued. His sex education had been more than lacking, consisting of a few romance novels he'd pinched from Petunia's collection and a bunch of teenage boys, but he definitely wanted to explore his fantasies more. Not bothering to say anything he turned and headed into the shop.  
"Haddy, why in gods' name do you want to go into a shop that sells women's lingerie."  
"Just trust me Draco and follow me."  
"Fine but we are definitely stopping by Krispy Kreme on the way out and buying that mixed box for later."  
"Fine but if you get fat don't blame me."  
Draco's face was picture perfect but Haddy was on a mission. Thankfully, after a day of shopping with Draco he'd long since passed his embarrassment threshold and was able to walk confidently past the rows of lace bras and pants, Draco following close behind.  
"Wow Haddy, what have you found here?"  
"Honestly, I'm not sure," said Haddy, "but I know I'm curious."  
"Can I help you boys?" asked a sales clerk, "my name is Chris and I'd be happy to help you out."  
"Thank you Chris, that would be most helpful. My dear brother, here, is new to this so could do with all the help he could get."  
Chris went on to explain some of the toys and aids that the shop carried, flirting openly with them as he went. It made Haddy a little uncomfortable but Draco happily ate up the attention.  
"You're a good looking guy, Haddy, but you need to learn how to flirt or how do you expect to get the guy you like."  
"Your brother's right Haddy and I'm more than happy for you to practice on me. I understand your serious about this guy though I will say I'm more than happy to pick up the pieces if he's stupid enough to turn you down."  
"Thank you and I'm sorry I'm a bit awkward. I've had a bit of a transformation looks-wise recently and I'm not used to being considered good looking. What with realising I'm gay as well its a bit much."  
Unable to prevent it, no matter how hard he tried, Haddy received a crash course in flirting amongst dildos and butt plugs as well as some pointers on the finer points of gay sex and BDSM which even Draco paid attention to. By the end of it they had both acquired some useful guides and a decent array of sex toys and bondage items that could be used solo. Chris and Draco had continued to flirt up a storm to the extent he asked for Draco's phone number before they left.  
"I'm afraid he's between phones at the moment, dropped his last one down the loo," said Haddy, hoping to stop Draco asking what a phone is, "but if you give him yours I'll make sure he adds it when his new phone arrives."  
"I'll be most disappointed if you don't, I'm looking forward to helping you with some of your new toys."  
Draco beckoned him out from behind the till and sidled up to him. "Don't worry, Chris, you will definitely be seeing me again," he said before pulling him in and snogging the life out of him. Haddy stood back slightly awkwardly, unsure what to do or where to look. When Draco finally came up for air he said goodbye, gently stroking along Chris's jaw, before picking up his bags and walking out, leaving the poor sales assistant with a blissed out expression on his face. Hadrian had to race a bit to catch up to his taller brother, having taken a bit of time to recover from the shock of what he just saw.  
"I didn't know you were gay Draco, I'm sure I'd heard you were going out with Pansy Parkinson."  
"Officially Pansy and I are an item but it's only for convenience, we tried it once but it didn't work out. Now it's just for appearances, she gets the prestige of being my girlfriend and she keeps the adoring masses at bay. It's a win-win situation. As for being gay, I think I'm more bi, I've been with both girls and guys though I'm not really worried about labels. It's about the person not the gender." Draco suddenly stopped and looked at his brother. "We try to judge people by their actions and not who they're with or what they are or whatever. Do you understand?"  
"I do, though it's a bit of a foreign concept for me. All my life people around me have prejudged everyone, for better or worse, for any number of things that are beyond their control. I like the idea of people looking at me just for who I am and not anything else."  
Draco pulled his little brother into a one armed hug and kissed the side of his head. "I love you, little brother, and I can see us being great friends. I just hope you can forgive papa like you've forgiven me. I know there's a few more days before the Dursley's come back but I'll have to go back to the manor soon. Mama and papa always miss me over term time so I usually spend as much of the holidays with them as possible."  
Hadrian hugged his brother back. "I understand Drake and I'm sure I'll forgive Lucius. It's just all the times I've met him before he's been a complete dick. I'm having a hard time reconciling the image of Lucius the loving father with Lucius the death eater."  
"I know he regrets how he's acted in the past, I could see it in his face yesterday. How about you come to the manor, just for afternoon tea or something, get to know the real him behind the mask he wears in public."  
Hadrian sighed. "OK, Drake, I think I can do that."  
Draco kissed his brother's head again. "Good, now let's get these doughnuts and head back. My arms are starting to ache and I don't want to bother Minty again."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus learns the truth of Harry's upbringing.

Back at 4 Privet Drive Severus Snape sat on Harry Potter's bed, stroking his owl and contemplated everything that he'd learned in the last few hours.  
When he'd arrived at the house this morning he'd interrupted a house elf doing the cleaning. As if that wasn't strange enough, he was sure it had been a Malfoy house elf though the poor frightened creature had disappeared before he'd gotten a good look.  
Albus had sent him to check on Potter as the wards had been alerted, or so he'd said. Normally it wouldn't have been Severus to check on the boy, Albus apparently, was as happy to keep some distance between them as he was himself. The aurors, however, were all busy on some case and it had been a full moon the night before which meant the werewolf was out and of course one never sends a Weasley to do something that requires subtlety. Not that he didn't have his own things to do instead of running after Potter in the holidays as well as during the term. Just yesterday Lucius had requested an order of nutrient potions; he had no idea what they were for but he wasn't going to turn down good coin. Now though, here he was, in the middle of muggle suburbia, checking up on the blasted boy-who-lived. Except said boy appeared to be missing.

He'd begun investigating as soon as he realized the boy was gone but the more he found the more horrified he became. The letter had been the first thing he'd noticed, clearly being from a wizard, but when he checked the sender he'd been shocked that it had come from Albus Dumbledore himself. Obviously he was expecting the recipient to destroy it which is why he hadn't concealed his magical signature but Severus wasn't sure why that hadn't happened. He didn't doubt its contents; the headmaster had previously talked to him about Potter's bulimia and he'd seen the result of Potter's so called outburst, the boy's magical signature was all over the door though it was different from usual as if he hadn't used his wand.  
Then there was the house itself. Severus had been unaware of who Vernon Dursley was but he recognized Petunia Evans from some photos around the house. Dumbledore had informed them that Harry spent his summers with some distant Potter relatives on the continent so he was shocked to realise that he'd been stuck with his aunt who had always hated anything to do with magic. Suddenly the boy's lack of knowledge made perfect sense and he kicked himself for believing the headmaster when he'd told the staff Potter was a selfish, self-centered attention seeker when, looking back, the opposite was clearly true. Severus was strongly regretting how he'd treated the boy over the years.  
He went to the cupboard under the stairs, an image that had featured prominently in Harry's memories, and found the boy's school trunk inside. He opened it and was shocked to see the meagre possessions inside. His uniform, school books, some photo albums and his broom. There appeared to be a broken mirror at the bottom and a piece of parchment that seemed familiar. The sum total of his young life, and when combined with the few tattered clothes in his room, it painted a very sad picture.  
He sat inside the small 'room' and looked at the drawings on the wall that painted a picture of a sad lonely life, a boy desperate to find acceptance. He closed the door and sat on Harry's bed, bringing up memories of harsh words, a hand, a fist, a belt. Memories that were so like his own it was difficult to differentiate.  
Tobias Snape had not always been a cruel man but he had been ambitious so had been more than happy to marry Eileen Prince thinking he'd have access to her fortune. What he hadn't realized until later is that Eileen had lost access to that fortune when she'd sought out a vampire clan and gotten herself turned. Eileen had always been fascinated by vampires and had never bought into Dumbledore's talk about them being evil and dark, unlike the rest of her family and, at first, hadn't minded them shunning her for her choices. When she'd found her mate in Tobias, a handsome and charming muggle, she'd thought she'd be able to live a happy life with him. Tobias, however, had never been able to accept the blood drinking aspect of being a mate which had led to drinking and later fits of rage. Eileen tried to drink from him as little as possible, despite it leaving her weak, and tried altering his memory when the need overtook her, but that only made her mate's mood worse. She'd even gone so far as to try drinking from another but she'd said it tasted of ash since she had found her mate and had only made her thirst his blood worse. Severus had watched the descent of his parents' marriage and swore that he would never look for his mate, planning on making do with strangers for the rest of his miserable life. He had never expected to feel the pull of a bond with an infant but that is exactly what happened the first time he'd held Harry Potter in his arms.  
Lily Evans had never been able to forgive him for calling her a mudblood but that didn't mean he wanted to see her hurt. When he'd realized Voldemort was going to attack them, after he'd told him about the prophecy, Severus had rushed over to Godric's Hollow as fast as he could. He'd been too late, of course, but when he picked up the crying infant his blood had sang out that he was home and the child had instantly stopped crying. Severus had wept then, not for the loss of his friend but from the knowledge that he'd found his other half and could never complete the bond. What kind of monster would he be to try and force something like that on a baby. He had sworn allegiance to Albus Dumbledore that night, knowing the headmaster would be incharge of Harry's welfare and wanting the ability to watch over the boy. He might never complete the bond but that didn't mean that he would let any harm come to his mate.  
He'd put all thoughts of mates and bonds out of his head and gotten on with his life until the day Harry Potter had entered Hogwarts and it all came crashing back with a vengeance. He had had to do everything in his power to keep the boy at a distance, using his words and actions to alienate himself to Harry. He would rail against the boy when his reckless actions put his life in danger, all the while dogging his steps to try and keep him safe. Severus could not truly regret his actions. He was sorry if he had ever added to Harry's now obviously hard life but he could only wish the boy every future happiness; Harry deserved a life filled with joy, not to be a walking blood bank for a bitter and jaded individual such as himself.

Severus didn't know how long he'd stayed in that sad, dark space, wallowing in self pity, but the sun had dropped low on the horizon and he needed a drink. Helping himself to Tuney's good gin he poured himself a strong G and T and made himself comfortable, ready to wait however long it took to make sure Harry was still safe. Thankfully it didn't take long for the front door to open but he was shocked when two Malfoy boys came bundling in, laughing and joking together and laden down with a vast amount of purchases. It took the boys a few seconds to notice his presence but when they did they both jumped in shock.  
"Er, hello uncle Sev, what brings you here?"  
"I could ask you the same, Draco, and I do hope there is a good explanation however I fear the pertinent question is where is Harry Potter?"  
"I'm here sir," said the other blonde boy, gingerly coming out from behind his brother. Severus merely lifted an eyebrow in disbelief but then his vampiric senses kicked in and he knew without a doubt that this handsome young man in front of him was his mate.  
"Alright then boys, I am going to refresh my drink and you are going to catch me up on everything I appear to have missed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this read a little like a Severus Snape origin story which is why I've been writing like crazy to make today another double update day. Hope you enjoy.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Severus is brought up to speed and Draco proves he's a good brother.

Haddy had decided to make a cup of tea to give himself a chance to get over the shock of coming back and finding Severus Snape sitting comfortably in the Dursley's living room. It didn't help the man had had a starring role in some pretty epic fantasies recently and was currently sat in the same room as some new sex toys that he planned on using in conjunction with future fantasies involving the same person. He was seriously regretting wearing his new jeans: it didn't matter that Draco had said they make his arse look amazing they did nothing to conceal his body's reaction to a certain Mr tall, dark and sexy presently making a large dent in Petunia Dursley's favorite bottle of gin. He had to take some deep breaths and picture Umbridge dancing in the rain before he could walk back into the room, only to find Draco sprawled out on the sofa half asleep.  
"For god's sake Draco, I told you not to have that third coffee."  
Draco merely waved his hand, refusing to move any more.  
"I'm assuming you're referring to muggle coffee," commented Snape, "as much as I like the idea of you and my godson getting along I hope that this will be a lesson to you, Mr Potter."  
"Have you tried to stop Draco from doing something when he's determined, sir?"  
"Yes, Mr Potter, and you can trust that I did a much better job than you appear to have."  
"Leave off, uncle Sev, Haddy did stop me from going too crazy."  
"I'm pretty sure three coffees in one afternoon would be considered 'too crazy' by most, Draco."  
"It could've been worse, sir, he was adamant that he was going to try every flavour syrup."  
"Of course, I have to figure out which one is best if I'm going to be getting them on a regular basis."  
"I'm not sure how you plan on doing that Draco, or have you got a secret way of popping to the muggle world that I don't know about."  
"Boys, please! As charming as this conversation is, it's not getting me any closer to ascertaining why Mr Potter now looks like he's Lucius Malfoy's son."  
"He looks like he's papa's son because he is papa's son, uncle Sev. Meet Hadrian Cygnus Malfoy, formerly deceased."  
The fact that Severus Snape, master spy and a man of famously few expressions, was sat with his mouth wide open was testament to how shocking that news truly was.  
"Harry Potter is Hadrian Malfoy! How in God's name does that happen," he roared.  
"I'm not sure of the ins and outs of it, probably best asking papa about that, but it's true. It came up when he did an inheritance test at Gringotts."  
Severus downed the rest of his drink, contemplated his glass, filled it half full of neat gin then downed it again.  
"It's true sir, I know it seems unbelievable."  
"I don't doubt the veracity Mr Potter, Malfoy, goblins are sticklers for that sort of thing. It's simply immensely shocking that you've risen from the grave yet again, although in hindsight it shouldn't be so surprising, if anyone was going to be a long lost Malfoy it would certainly be you."  
"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted."  
"Flattered, Haddy, definitely. Malfoys are always extraordinary."  
"In your case brother, that would be extraordinarily dickish."  
"Oi!"  
"Boys, please, for the love of all that is holy, cease your bickering. This situation is giving me enough of a headache as it is. Out of curiosity, Mr Malfoy."  
"Yes, uncle Sev."  
"Don't be facetious, Draco, I wasn't talking to you."  
"Then maybe you could use Haddy's name, to save confusion of course."  
Severus was too busy glowering at Draco to notice Haddy's blush. Draco noticed and sent his brother a devious smirk.  
Severus sighed. "Fine then, Hadrian," spoken with as much venom as he could muster, "how, pray tell, did you come to take an inheritance test at Gringotts."  
"I'd had a letter asking me to attend the reading of Sirius's will."  
Severus waited, but when no further explanation was given he sighed again. "And what happened then. I assume you didn't just march into Gringotts and demand an inheritance test."  
"Oh, er, no. The Dursley's had locked me in my room and said they'd be gone for the week. I accidentally opened the door and found a letter addressed to Vernon, though I don't know who from, saying they were meant to keep me away. I decided to use the money they'd set to the Dursley's to sneak into the reading. I overheard Dumbledore saying a load of shit about how I was unstable and had asked for him to look after the money for me. After they went I told the goblins it was bollocks so they had me do an inheritance test to prove who I was then they put a stop to Dumbledore taking all my money."  
Severus had to pause to think about what Harry, Haddy had just said. He knew Dumbledore was a manipulative bastard but had no idea he would stoop to imprisoning a child for money. There was obviously more to it than that although the boy was probably unaware of the scope of things. He definitely needed to have a long conversation with Lucius soon, but for now there were other matters to attend to.  
"So you did the inheritance test and it told you you were Hadrian Malfoy."  
"Yes. It said the Potter's had adopted me."  
"I'm curious what happened to Harry Potter then."  
"What do you mean, sir?"  
"Lily was pregnant. She was due in July sometime but decided to spend time with some family towards the end of her pregnancy so I don't know what happened."  
"You talk like you knew her, sir."  
"I did, Hadrian, I had attended school with her after all."  
"Oh, yeah, that incident that I saw in your memories." Snape visibly tensed. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. Sorry for invading your privacy. And I'm sorry for what they did, it was horrible and unjustified."  
"How do you know that, how can you possibly be so sure that I didn't do anything to them to warrant that. You think I was some sort of saint? That I didn't give back as good as I got with the?"  
"You're right, you must have been such a complete evil bastard you deserved to be killed or did you forget I knew about that too."  
"You arrogant little sod how dare you!"  
"Will both of you shut up!" Draco screamed, "you're just going around in circles, it's ridiculous. I wouldn't expect this kind of shit from children."  
"He is a child."  
"Severus, really, just listen to yourself. Look Haddy was stupid and looked into your memories, he's sorry, he's apologized, now you need to forgive him."  
"You think it's that easy to forgive, do you Draco."  
"Well if Haddy can forgive you for all the shit you've pulled on him over the years then I think you can forgive him one mistake."  
"I am still here you know. Look, professor, if you can't forgive me then that's fine, I deserve that, but can we please not dwell on it. It's not like you liked me before."  
Hadrian couldn't look at the man, he felt dejected. As if someone like that could care for someone like him, new looks or no.  
"I forgive you." It had been so quiet Haddy thought he'd imagined it but looking up at Severus and Draco he knew he'd heard it. He grinned and couldn't stop from flinging his arms around Severus.  
"Thank you," he said, trying to hold back tears. He felt Severus tense up so gingerly pulled back mumbling apologies.  
"See, I was right again. You should always listen to me. Now where did we put those doughnuts."  
"No Draco, you've had three of them already today, not to mention all the other crap you've eaten. It's 5pm if you're hungry, have some dinner."  
"Oh fine, I'll have some dinner first, then a doughnut or two. I'll call Minty to cook something."  
"Why, we have leftover pizza in the fridge."  
"Hadrian, pizza is hardly healthy, especially after the day you and Draco seem to have had."  
"I know sir, I just don't like the idea of wasting food. I know what it's like to go hungry."  
"Unfortunately I understand what you mean, Hadrian, but as the adult in the room I feel the need to insist on some sort of fruit or veg."  
"Don't worry sir, I picked up some salad to go with it and some fruit for after."  
"No Haddy doughnuts after, and if you think I'm eating leftovers you have definitely lost your brain somewhere in the mall." Draco paused for thought and then smirked. "You know what, I think mama and papa are going to have been missing me. I think it's best I go home for dinner. You should stay though, uncle Sev, make sure Haddy is alright. I'm sure there's plenty of food. Goodnight." With that he activated his port key and vanished. Severus and Haddy were still too shocked to move when Minty popped in to pick up the boy's purchases and left a potion for Haddy.  
"Um, did you want to stay for dinner, sir. Draco was right, there is plenty. I didn't realise how big a large pizza was when I ordered them last night."  
"I suppose it would be for the best. I think there are some things we still need to discuss."  
Haddy set the table, feeling incredibly awkward. He knew Draco had set him up and, no matter how much he tried to tell himself the idea was ridiculous, who couldn't help but feel like this was a date. He was definitely grateful, now for Draco insisting he wear some of his new clothes as soon as he'd bought them. Shaking his head to try and keep the crazy thoughts away, he definitely didn't take extra care laying the table, and that definitely wasn't Petunia's best crockery.

Dinner was unsurprisingly a little strained at first, Severus had thanked Haddy for dinner, Haddy graciously accepted, then they both obstinately concentrated on eating. After a few minutes of near silence Severus decided to be the adult and start the metaphorical ball rolling.  
"So, Hadrian, what do you plan on doing now?"  
"What do you mean, sir?"  
"Now that you know that you're Hadrian Malfoy are you going to stay here, go to Malfoy Manor? Is Harry Potter just going to disappear?"  
"That would be nice. I never liked being Harry Potter, all that boy-who-lived crap. I know you might not believe me, sir, but I never wanted the fame. I like the idea of just being Hadrian Malfoy."  
"I sincerely doubt being a Malfoy will lead to a life of obscurity."  
"Very true, sir, but it's still better than before. A lot less responsibility."  
"Ah yes, the prophecy, I never did hold much stock in them. Too open to interpretation or the possibility of being self-fulfilling."  
"After a couple of years of divination I completely agree sir. I can't wait to drop it next year, I've had enough of predicting my own death."  
"I beg your pardon."  
"Oh, that's all I had to do to keep Trelawny happy, predict my untimely end in increasingly gruesome ways."  
"And my trust in her abilities has now dropped below zero. It's a shame you're only telling me this now, though, Hadrian, I'd have been more than happy to help come up with a few choice ideas."  
Hadrian laughed and Severus felt joy well up inside him at the thought he was making his mate happy. He had to cough to cover the smile that had formed on his face. "At any rate, Hadrian, aren't you worried about losing your friends if you become a Malfoy."  
The boy's face instantly fell, a marked difference from the happiness that was there moments before.  
"I don't know if any of them are really my friends, sir. When I was at Gringotts I overheard Ron, Ginny and Mrs Weasley talking."  
"Ah, let me guess, Mr Weasley bemoaning your fame and now considerably greater wealth and the women upping their marriage plans for you."  
"How did you know, sir."  
"I've been a spy for many years, Hadrian, and I have become very good at it."  
"That's true, sir." The coy smile Hadrian sent him caused Severus's stomach to flutter. If he didn't know better he'd think the boy was flirting with him but that would be ridiculous.  
"Yes, well, I may have overheard a few conversations along those lines. So am I to assume that you do not agree with Miss Weasley's intentions."  
"God no! I'm gay."  
That brought Severus up short. "I had thought you were dating Miss Chang."  
"Not dating. One disastrous date and one disastrous kiss, no more. Though I only realized I was gay this summer."  
"Well, that's fine," Severus was not jealous of whoever had caused Harry, no Haddy, to come to that realisation. "I'm also gay," Severus was now mentally kicking himself.  
"Oh, um, that's good to know. Thanks, sir." OK, Severus thought, maybe getting to see Haddy's coy smile again was worth the risk of humiliation. He knew he'd have to be careful, he could easily get used to all this positive attention.  
"Now that we've established that you want to continue as Hadrian, honestly I agree you are better off without the Weasleys, the question is will you go to the manor. I would advise against staying here, the headmaster is working with the Dursley's against you. Now you've discovered your true heritage I don't know how safe you'll be."  
Hadrian sighed. "Do you really think I'll be safe there? I know Draco said the Malfoys will be happy to have me there but I'm worried about Lucius. Our previous meetings have been far from amicable."  
"Your hesitation is understandable, and I'm glad to see you being cautious, but there are some things you need to know about Lucius Malfoy. Firstly, when you met before he believed you were actively working with the headmaster to weaken the magical world and destroy his way of life, that is why he hated you. Secondly, family for the Malfoys is more important than anything. Even if you were working with Dumbledore, Lucius and Narcissa would still love you for the simple fact that you are their son. They might be disappointed in your choices but they would never be able to hurt you. I firmly believe you would be safer there than you are here."  
"Even with Voldemort on the loose."  
"Yes, even with the dark lord around. You are her son, Narcissa would protect you with her life."  
Haddy looked like he was deep in thought. Severus was glad the boy wasn't rushing into things as he had been won't to in the past. Maybe Draco would be good for Hadrian's sense of self preservation, which would certainly make Severus's life easier.  
"OK sir, I trust your judgement. You've always looked out for me in the past, I don't see why you would stop now. Thank you for that, by the way, I'm sorry for having made your life more difficult."  
"You have nothing to be sorry for, it was my choice, though if you could try and stop getting yourself into deadly situations it would be much appreciated. Now, as to what to do now, Albus sent me to check on you, so I would prefer it, for my sake as a spy in the order, if you didn't disappear now. When are the Dursley's due back again?"  
"They said they were going away for a week."  
"Then I will go back after dinner to give my report to Albus that everything is fine here. If you're OK with it, wait a day as Harry Potter, just in case he decides to check for himself that way he won't suspect my involvement."  
"Out of curiosity, sir, which side are you on."  
"My own Hadrian. I was for Tom Riddle and his ideas before his descent into madness. I distrust Albus Dumbledore's intentions and vehemently disagree on his stance regarding magical creatures."  
"Oh, I guess that's good then. I was worried you'd hate me."  
"I could never hate you, Haddy."  
"Good, I could never really hate you either, sir."  
The look they shared was full of admiration and Severus worried this was all a dream. Despite everything his mate accepted him, on some level at least, and his vampiric side was jumping for joy. He coughed, breaking the spell lest he do something stupid like kiss the boy.  
"Well, in that case, I'd best get back before he gets suspicious." Severus stood and started making his way to the front door. "I'll be back tomorrow to help you sort your things out, if you want, and get you settled at the manor."  
"That would be nice, thank you," said Hadrian, having followed him out.  
"Don't forget to put your goblin charm on, I assume that will revert your appearance." "Trust you to figure that out, sir."  
"I think you've earned the right to call me Severus, at least outside of school."  
"Then I suppose it's goodnight Severus, until tomorrow."  
"Until tomorrow, Haddy, goodnight."  
With that, Severus walked out the door and into the night, refusing to look back like some love struck sap.


	10. Chapter 10

Hadrian felt like he was floating as he tidied up after dinner. It didn't matter how many times he told himself it hadn't been a date, he'd had such a wonderful evening with, Snape, no Severus, that he couldn't keep the grin off his face. Not that he thought he actually had a chance with the man but he could always dream.  
He'd put the goblin charm on as soon as Severus had left and had changed into his old clothes just in case. It felt strange wearing glasses again; he was surprised at how quickly he'd got used to being Hadrian Malfoy. It probably had to do with the fact that he'd never felt completely comfortable being Harry Potter and wondered if, on some level, he'd realized that wasn't who he really was.  
Of course he did think of everything he would lose giving up who he was, not just Ron but Hermione, Neville, the twins. He queried if, like Ron, they had only been pretending to be his friends or if they'd genuinely liked him. He wasn't sure how much betrayal he could handle and was glad he was getting close with Draco, he was one person who'd never been intimidated by his fame. Heck, Draco Malfoy was pretty famous in his own right. Maybe if he'd realized, when they first met, that some of Draco's arrogance was actually deserved then he might not have been so put off. He shook his head, no need for regrets now, he'd learned that there was nothing he could do about the past, at least not without the use of a time turner anyway. He would just have to make better decisions in the future.

The house seemed eerily quiet when he finally settled down for bed. He didn't want to make it too obvious that he'd been out of his room so he hadn't brought anything in with him, thankfully Minty had taken his purchases along with Draco's, so he didn't have to worry about hiding anything. Apparently she'd done a good job of cleaning before Severus had arrived so no one would know anyone else had been here. He wondered if it was like that for Severus all the time; always on guard, checking to see if he'd covered his tracks. No wonder the man had a perpetually sour look on his face. Well, except for during their dinner. That had been an enlightening experience and he knew for sure now that he was well and truly gone on the man. He'd even tried flirting a bit, like Chris and Draco had taught him. He didn't know if it had worked or not but Severus had freaked out, like when Haddy had hugged him, so maybe he could try again when he saw he came back tomorrow. That put a smile on his face as he closed his eyes to images of him and Severus and what future dinners together could be like.

Harry had been in the middle of a wonderful dream involving Severus and a heavy snogging session on a sofa when he was awoken by a large crash downstairs. He rubbed his eyes and had just put his glasses on when his bedroom door flew open.  
"Expelliarmus."  
Haddy looked up as his wand went flying across the room only to see the last person he ever wanted to see again.  
"Voldemort! How did you get in here? I thought there were wards."  
"Ha, those pathetic things were no match for me. So this is where they've been hiding Harry Potter, in some dingy muggle neighborhood. I should have known. But tell me, why has my magic pulled me here."  
Hadrian was panicking. He knew he had the emergency port key to the manor but, if he was honest, he didn't trust what Lucius Malfoy would do. Yes, Severus had said family was the most important thing to the Malfoys but this would be one hell of a test. Plus he didn't want to risk putting them in danger if they did take his side.  
He wished Severus was there, as pathetic as it seemed the man had always been there for him, even when he'd seemed to truly hate Haddy, Severus had been like a guardian angel. Unfortunately Haddy was now on his own and if he wanted to get out of this alive maybe he should try thinking like Severus instead. Voldemort said he'd dismantled the wards to get in so surely Dumbledore or someone from the order must be on they're way. It wasn't ideal, he really didn't want to see any of them yet, but there was nothing to stop him from using the port key from Grimmauld place if he had to. Now that he had a plan, he just had to hope he could stall long enough for the order to arrive and hope Tom didn't decide to just kill him outright.  
"Well, Potter, are you going to tell me what's happening or am I going to have to torture it out of you."  
"I have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm not Harry Potter."  
"I'm afraid you'll have to try harder than that, Potter, but your look is quite unique."  
"Is that meant to be an insult?"  
"Of course, Potter. You look like a cross between your muggle loving father and your mudblood mother. Who in their right mind would want that. Now, you have 10 seconds to tell me what's happening to my magic before I simply kill you to see if that will solve the problem."  
Fuck, thought Haddy, time to pull out the big guns. He hadn't wanted to do this in case the order showed up but desperate times called for desperate measures.  
"I wasn't lying Tom, I'm not Harry Potter, I never really have been. I'm Hadrian Malfoy."  
"Impossible, Hadrian Malfoy died."  
"No I would assume Harry Potter died, not me. It's the only thing that makes sense."  
"You're lying that can't be true, the prophecy…"  
"Is obviously a load of bollocks, or at least not referring to me. Look."  
Hadrian removed his necklace to reveal his true face, hoping he'd be able to slip it back on before anyone else saw. He was pretty sure Voldemort was shocked by what he saw but it was hard to tell on old snake-face.  
"This can't be. The prophecy. He said, he said…"  
"Who said? Look, I know about the prophecy but it's not about me. It can't be, I was born at the beginning of June not the end of July." Voldemort appeared to be becoming increasingly confused, Haddy wasn't sure if that was a good thing but it was definitely preferable to being instantly killed. Deciding to push his advantage he stood up, hands raised, palms forward, not wanting to spook old Tom anymore. "I don't want to fight you."  
"You've decided to join me. To fight against Dumbledore and his muggle loving ways."  
"I won't join you, I won't torture or kill people, but I'm not with Dumbledore. That man has done nothing but lie to me and manipulate me and I've had enough. I will fight him if I have to but really I just want to forget about this boy-who-lived crap and get on with my life."  
"You still defeated me."  
"Did I? That's what Dumbledore said but I don't remember and I certainly don't trust a word that man says, do you?"  
"I…"  
Voldemort closed his eyes, trying to remember the events of that fateful night. Haddy took the opportunity, moving across the room as quietly as he could to try and get his wand back. Voldemort must have sensed him as he opened his eyes just as Haddy reached him, moving his hand out the way, causing Haddy to grab Voldemort's wrist. The second they touched a bright white light exploded from where they touched. The last thing Haddy saw before he blacked out were six shadows circling them.

Severus was sitting in the basement of Grimmauld Place, desperate to go check on Haddy. He'd shown up to give a report of what he'd seen that day at 4 Privet Drive when Dumbledore, in his eminent wisdom, had decided to call a meeting. Severus wasn't sure of the purpose for this meeting other than Albus flexing his muscles, reminding him who was boss. He'd just finished giving his report, otherwise known as some bullshit he'd come up with to hide the truth, when Albus had tensed. Apparently something had happened to the wards on Privet Drive again but Dumbledore decided that because Severus hadn't seen anything all day, after the last time the wards flickered, that they must just need resetting and Albus would go the next night as it had been too late then. The twins had suggested going to check, obviously worried about their friend but they had been instantly shut down. That had been an hour ago. Unfortunately Severus knew there had actually been a reason for the wards to flicker last time and couldn't help but worry something was happening this time as well. He could only hope it was Draco, going to check on his brother and not anything more sinister though he didn't trust his luck. So now he was stuck listening to Molly Weasley drone on about how they needed to respect her more because she was a pureblood blah blah, and all he wanted was for the meeting to end.  
When Albus finally called close, after another hour, with the announcement that he would be gone the next night to reset the wards protecting 4 Privet Drive and that he would inform Harry he could come to Grimmauld Place after his birthday. Severus was glad of that last little bit of information and hoped that it still mattered.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the mix up guys, thank you for letting me know. The problem of trying to post while looking after young children. Hope you actually enjoy this one.

Severus apparated to the Dursley's house as soon as he was out of sight of Grimmauld Place with his sense of foreboding increasing with each step. He raced up the stairs as soon as he entered the property but was brought up short by what he saw in Haddy's room. Hadrian Malfoy, as Hadrian not Harry, was lying next to the body of Tom Riddle, not the Lord Voldemort that had appeared after the Triwizard tournament but the actual Tom. Severus had no idea what had happened but he quickly checked for signs of life and was relieved to note that they were both fine. Knowing he couldn't do anything on his own, especially where they were, he decided to take a risk and activated Haddy's emergency port key to Malfoy Manor.

Lucius had been keeping busy in his study since dinner. Draco had come back in the afternoon after spending a day and a half with Hadrian and Lucius was worried. Not that Draco had come back with a mountain of purchases and a new appreciation for muggle culture, that was fine, in fact Lucius was already planning a trip to get some of those Gucci shoes for himself, though preferably not with Draco or Narcissa. Shopping with those two was like wrestling a dragon: tiring, dangerous and best avoided at all costs.  
What had Lucius worried was that Hadrian was on his own. He knew Draco had left Severus but that didn't fill him with relief. The relationship between the potions master and the boy-who-lived was famously torrid and although he was now Hadrian Malfoy he was also still Harry Potter and oh how Lucius hated that. Not for the fact that he had been Harry bit for how Lucius had acted around him and towards him. He knew when Hadrian looked at him all he saw was a vicious bastard, a title that was well and truly earned. He had spent the night before, lying awake in bed, wondering if he would ever get the chance to explain his actions to his son and if he even deserved a chance. He was interrupted from his thoughts by a house elf asking him to come to the foyer immediately. There he saw three people he never expected to see together in his house.  
"Lucius, come quick, I don't know what happened, I just found them like this," Severus announced.  
Lucius wasted no time before hurrying towards them and quickly running diagnostic checks on his son: he had never been more grateful for his elven affinity for healing. He ran every check he could think of and breathed a sigh of relief that nothing was majorly wrong. There was Hadrian's obvious malnutrition, that he'd already been aware of, and some old, poorly healed injuries that he would have to see another time. The only thing that could be the reason for his lack of conciseness was that Hadrian was severely magically depleted although it didn't appear he'd cast any spells. Breathing a sigh of relief he moved onto his old friend Tom, for it was Tom Riddle on his hallway floor. The checks showed he, too, was severely malnourished and magically depleted but also showed some serious holes in his memory. He explained his findings to Severus.  
"Do you know what it means though Lucius, does it tell you what happened or when he'll wake up."  
"I'm afraid I can't say, we can just give him some potions and pray for a good outcome. He may wake up fine, he may never recover his magic or he may never wake up at all."  
Severus's face fell. "Is there anything I can do to help."  
"Can you take Hadrian to his rooms, they adjoin Draco's. If you ask Minty she'll get the potions you need. I'll meet you there later, Tom has some mental injuries that are beyond my skill to heal so I'm going to call mama and ask if she can take him."  
"That way he'll also be in the elven realm, away from Haddy, good thinking Lucius."  
"I'm glad you agree."

His mother had been reluctant to take the dark lord to the elven realm at first, fearing the havoc he could wreak. He had had to explain the entire Harry Potter/Hadrian story, or at least as much as he was aware, but thankfully family need won out and Tom Riddle was now safely ensconced in another realm. He was shocked when he entered his son's room he was shocked to see Severus Snape dutifully attending to his son with a look of tender care on his face.  
"Is there something you want to tell me Severus?"  
Severus froze in his ministrations before sighing in defeat.  
"There's no point in even trying to evade this question is there?" he asked, tenderly running a hand through Hadrian's hair.  
"No Severus, I'm pretty sure I've guessed but I think I deserve confirmation."  
"Of course." He turned and looked Lucius straight in his eyes, resigned to his fate. "Hadrian is my mate."  
"How long have you known."  
"Since the night the dark lord was destroyed. I went to try and help Lily but was too late. I picked up the baby to try and stop him crying and instantly knew."  
"Have you told him yet."  
"Of course not! I am not going to pressurise him into a life like that! Can you not remember what happened to my parents."  
"Calm down Severus, don't get so agitated around my son when he's healing, it could be detrimental. As for Hadrian, how do you know he won't accept being your mate, not everyone is as closed minded as your father was."  
"Of course he would accept being my mate, and everything that goes with it, but that doesn't mean he'll be happy with it. You may not know him well but I've spent the better part of the last 5 years with Harry Potter and know if he feels like something is his duty he will persevere with it and damn the consequences."  
"Thank you for the reminder that I know next to nothing about my son."  
"I wasn't casting aspersions, Lucius. It's not your fault you don't know him but trust me, when you do you will find him honorable to a fault. Look at his hand, if you want proof."  
Lucius looked at the back of his son's right hand and read 'I must not tell lies' in scar tissue. He felt sick to his stomach.  
"Who did this."  
"Delores Umbridge. She seemed to have some sort of quill she made him use during detention last year. He refused to tell anyone about it or get help."  
Lucius took several deep breaths, already planning a hundred different ways to extract revenge on the woman.  
"Did Dumbledore know?"  
"Yes. I'd noticed the scar on the boy's hand after his first detention. When it persisted I informed Albus but he insisted that there was nothing he could do."  
Lucius smacked his cane into a nearby vase sending it flying across the room and smashing into the wall.  
"What was that about agitation being bad for a patient's healing," Severus quipped.  
"Fuck off Severus. I not only find out that my dead son is no longer dead but has been tortured mercilessly by people that were supposed to protect him and I'm supposed to remain calm! I want each and every one of their heads mounted on a spike at my entrance as a warning to anyone who thinks of hurting him again."  
"He's my mate, Lucius. You think I feel any different."  
"You stood by and let it happen. You are just as culpable. I should throw you out right now."  
"I didn't have a choice."  
"He's right father, he couldn't say anything and you know it," Draco announced, coming into the room and curling up next to his brother in the bed. "Plus Haddy needs him here. He's confused, he's found out everything that he thought was a lie. Sev is one of only a few things that hasn't changed. I don't know how Haddy will cope if you send him away."  
Lucius sighed. "Fine, you can stay. But I expect you to start making amends and that can start by you telling him the truth."  
"I'm surprised you think I'm good enough to be associated with a Malfoy."  
"What are you talking about Severus?"  
"You've always belittled me whenever you could, even finding a way to get the Prince inheritance."  
"I have know idea what you're going on about. Who told you that."  
"Dumbledore."  
"And you believed him?"  
"At the time, I had no reason not to. Now however I'm pretty sure it was a crock of shit."  
Lucius smiled. "As far as I'm aware the inheritance is yours and being held in trust for you at the bank."  
"Thank you, and I'm sorry. I fear our friendship has suffered because I believed the wrong person."  
"The blame is mutual, Severus. I advise you to go to the bank tomorrow to check but for tonight you are welcome to stay."  
"Thank you again my friend but I feel we may have some planning to do tomorrow. Dumbledore is planning on going to Hadrian's old residence to reset the wards and was going to talk to him. Currently the wards are in tatters, courtesy of the dark lord and Mr Potter is in no fit state to hold a conversation."  
"Thank you for the information, we shall come up with a plan in the morning, for now let me show you to a room."  
Severus nodded his thanks and made to follow Lucius out the door. Before he left the room Draco spoke up.  
"Papa is right uncle Sev and you know it. Haddy hates people lying to him more than anything, always has. Whatever it is you need to tell him so he has a choice, it's unfair for you to take that away from him."  
"What happens if I tell him and he feels obliged to do something he doesn't really want to."  
"Then you can trust that as his loving older brother I will not let him do anything that will be detrimental to his health."  
Severus nodded and bid Draco goodnight, smiling as his godson cuddled Haddy to his chest, kissing him on his head before going back to sleep.

Severus slept surprisingly well that night. Despite the fact that Haddy was in a magical coma he was safe, probably safer than he had ever been before. The Malfoys would do everything in their power to ensure his recovery and on top of that the dark lord was in a different dimension, also in a magical coma. For the first time in over 15 years Severus could relax.


	12. Chapter 12

Severus went in to see Haddy first thing in the morning. It was quite funny to see Draco looking as immaculate as ever except for the blonde mess that was currently drooling on his chest. Severus thought he should get himself checked by a mind healer as the only word he could think of to describe Haddy was adorable.  
"You know it's creepy to just stand there silently staring, uncle Sev."  
Trust draco to actually be awake.   
"I apologize Draco, I didn't mean to wake you, I just wanted to make sure Hadrian was alright."  
"What's going on between you and Haddy."  
"There is nothing going on between Haddy and me Draco, he is merely a student and I care about his welfare as I would for any student."  
Draco lifted his head and looked at Severus balefully. "For some reason I don't believe you. Just know Severus Snape, if you hurt my brother the dark lord will seem like a puppy compared to me."  
"You do know that is slightly ironic."  
"Still true."  
"Well I promise hurting Haddy is the last thing I want to do. Now you seem tired, go back to sleep."  
Lucius had also gone to check on the boys before breakfast and had been a little worried: Hadrian seemed to be doing much better but now Draco was very weak. Not sure what could be the cause he called his mother to come check on them.

Lady Aurelia Malfoy was a highly intimidating person: a high elf, she stood tall and proud, white hair falling like a wave of silk and silver that seemed to pierce your soul. Never one to waste time she stalked straight up to see the boys upon arrival leaving Narcissa, Lucius and Severus, in the solar, to wait. Thankfully it wasn't long before she returned.  
"Lucius, as ever, I am highly disappointed with you. If you'd chosen to pursue your gift as opposed to squandering them you wouldn't have needed me to come here."  
"But then you wouldn't have seen your grandsons, mama."  
"I would have seen them in my own time Lucius, instead you interrupt me from the intricate job of healing the mind of your friend."  
"So the boys are fine?" Narcissa asked.  
"Yes, my dear, they will be perfectly fine." The Malfoy matriarch smiled benevolently at her daughter-in-law. Beautiful, intelligent, financially independent and having embraced her natural talents; Narcissa Black couldn't have been a more perfect choice for Lucius and marrying her was one of the few things her son did that made her proud. Something Aurelia was not above reminding him. "They are elven twins, Draco is simply giving Hadrian some of his magic to recover. Let them rest and keep up their potions and they'll be fine in a day or two. May enquire how Hadrian got to be so malnourished. He resembles a pixie more than a high elf."  
"I'm afraid, Lady Malfoy, that he was not given adequate care by the people he'd been left with." Severus had always been intimidated by Lucius's mother, more so now as she was Haddy's grandmother.  
"That is unfortunate, I trust he will not be going back. At least I can be sure that with potions from you, Severus, made with Narcissa's ingredients, he will bounce back in no time."  
"Thank you for your confidence, Lady Malfoy, may I ask if you know what caused it."  
"Honestly Lucius, you couldn't even figure that out. You should be ashamed to call yourself a healer."  
"I'm sorry mama, I'm afraid my skills are quite rusty."  
"Then I suggest you work on them. As to your question Severus, it appears Mr Riddle's soul had been split and placed in other vessels, I believe wizards call them horcruxes. I don't know how many times this was done but his mind is very damaged so I assume it was a few. Each time the soul is split the remainder becomes weaker, leaving the person more susceptible to things like coercion."  
"What does that have to do with Hadrian?" Severus asked.  
"Hadrian appears to have been a carrier of a piece of his soul and when they touched the soul pieces were reunited and called back all the other pieces that had been lost."  
"But they've touched before," Severus pointed out, "why now?"  
"Has anything changed recently, for example I noticed some inheritance rings on Hadrian."  
"Of course," exclaimed Narcissa, "father always said there were strong cleansing charms on that ring. It's why he'd got me to wear it when I got sick during the pregnancy."  
"Your father was always a smart man, Narcissa, that ring probably saved your children's life then. Likely it slowly tried to purge the foreign soul from Hadrian, though we'll probably learn more from Mr Riddle himself when he wakes up."  
"Will that be anytime soon?" Severus asked.  
"Unlikely, although he was still unconscious we've induced a magical coma while we reknit his neurons back together. It's a time consuming task, reforging someone's mind, and not one you want them to wake up in the middle of." Severus breathed a sigh of relief. "You seem particularly worried about him, Severus. Are you anxious to get back to your master or is there something else that I should know about."  
Severus started fidgeting under her intense gaze and, seeing an opportunity, piped up "Hadrian is his mate." Three pairs of eyes instantly turned on him.  
"I do not think that was for you to say, son."  
"Quite, although I'm curious how long you've known about this and not thought to inform me as your wife and the boy's mother."  
"Thank you for that, Lucius, but I am quite capable of informing people myself."  
"You say that my friend and yet you don't plan on informing Hadrian."  
"Why ever not Severus, I thought you were proud of your gifts?" Aurelia asked.  
"While it's true that my heightened sense of sight and smell comes in very handy when brewing but I remember my parent's marriage all too well, unfortunately, and care too much for young Hadrian to subject him to that."  
"Stop thinking like a muggle Severus, you're being ridiculous," Narcissa announced, "just because your father was an idiot it doesn't mean our Hadrian will be."  
"Quite," agreed Aurelia, "so long as you can support him financially I can't foresee there being a problem."  
"Hadrian is financially independent on his own, mama, thanks to his adoptive parents so… " Lucius was quelled under his mother's intense gaze.  
"There is a possible inheritance from my grandfather, Lady Malfoy, but I must go down to the bank to check."  
"Then I suggest that you do that forthwith, unless you want to try and persuade me of your ineligibility due to a meager twenty year age difference, as if anyone will care about that when you're 100."  
"Well ma'am, I am also his teacher and he is still at school."  
"More muggle nonsense. As if we can't use magic to tell if someone is being coerced. I swear the French are the only ones who understand the importance of love. Now, what are you waiting for?"  
Severus took the hint and quickly bid goodbye before going to Gringotts.

Gringotts was unfortunately busy when he arrived and Severus was conscious that Dumbledore would be arriving at 4 Privet Drive that night, to reset that wards that Tom had dismantled, and would be expecting to find Harry Potter locked in his room. Obviously Haddy was in no fit state to go, not that Severus would feel comfortable sending him if he was. The encounter with Tom had ended well but it could've been so much worse and the thought that he'd been the one to leave Haddy left him feeling sick. No, Haddy would not be there and if that meant revealing their hand to Dumbledore then so be it, he refused to put his mate at risk again.  
"Mr Snape, my name is Linux, I'm the head of the inheritance division here at Gringotts. I've been informed you wish to take an inheritance test."  
"Yes, thank you. I was initially informed by Albus Dumbledore that I had been blocked from the Prince inheritance and that someone else has claimed it. However that other person denies the claim so I have come to check."  
The goblin's dark eyes had sparkled at the mention of Dumbledore and a sly grin appeared on his face as he led Severus to a meeting room to perform the test. Unsurprisingly, for either of them, the test showed that Severus was indeed the heir of the Prince estate. An investigation showed that Dumbledore had presented a forged letter from Severus granting him power of attorney and an audit of the account showed a number of payments going out. The goblins promised an investigation into how this had all happened and promised to keep Severus apprised of the situation. Glad that that was sorted Severus made his way back to the manor. Being around the goblins had reminded him of the handy charm Haddy had to convert his appearance. The joy of goblin charms was that they were strong enough to fool even goblin eyes; goblins being naturally able to see through most potions and spells and was why Moody had chosen one as his replacement. For this reason goblin charms were very rare and goblins kept the sole right to them, if you tried to sell them or pass them on they disappeared back to the goblin kingdom.  
"As recompense for this terrible affair I have a request, Linux. I would like to investigate Albus Dumbledore myself, but not as myself. I am aware that you have given a charm to Hadrian Malfoy that reverts his appearance back to Harry Potter. If you grant me access to that charm I will consider the matter sorted."  
Linux studied Severus closely before flashing him a sinister smile.  
"Of course, Mr Snape, that will be no problem. However if you learn anything about the dealings of Albus Dumbledore in this, or any other endeavor, I ask that you share your information with us. We are beginning to build quite a case against him but would like to know the full extent of his crimes against our world."  
"Of course, Linux, though I may ask you to return the favor in the future. I know that he has committed a number of crimes in this world as well and I think there are some people that will finally take him on."  
With that Severus left for the manor, having a few things he needed to do before going to the Dursley's.


	13. Chapter 13

Severus Snape sometimes dreamed he would be lying in Harry Potter's bed, though admittedly he'd never imagined it quite like this. He was currently wearing a goblin charm to disguise himself as Harry Potter, awaiting a certain lying, manipulative headmaster to maintain the illusion that they didn't know that Harry was actually a Malfoy.  
Severus knew he wouldn't be able to perform magic once the wards had been reset so he collected all of Harry's belongings and shrunk them down, leaving the old, oversized clothes as he'd already seen the results of Draco's shopping spree. He'd even altered Albus's note so the Dursley's wouldn't suspect Harry's disappearance, it wouldn't hurt to give them more time before the old man realised what had happened.  
He was grateful Hedwig knew and trusted him. The snowy owl was good friends with his raven, Aessop, and the two would often go out on hunts together. Severus had sometimes stopped by the owlery on his nightly rounds to talk to her about Harry so she was more than happy to follow his directions to find her master. Now it was a waiting game.

It was starting to get dark when he felt the magic of fresh wards washing over the house. He settled himself on the bed and wondered how long it would be before his acting skills would be put to the test. He let his mind drift and felt the magic Dumbledore was laying down, nothing particularly strong, meant more for monitoring what was inside than stopping anything from coming in. No wonder Tom had not had any trouble dismantling them. He heard movement downstairs and worried briefly that he was going to check in the cupboard under the stairs but thankfully the headmaster came straight upstairs, after all that could have been difficult to explain. Severus heard the lock rattle, surprised that Dumbledore was using the key instead of magic, and feigned sleep.  
"Harry, Harry my boy, are you OK?"  
Severus blinked his eyes open. "Headmaster, is that you?" thankful for voice altering charms.  
"Yes it is Harry, sorry to wake you." Dumbldore came over and sat on the edge of Harry's bed. "I've just come to check on the wards. They've been flickering a bit recently, you haven't noticed anything going on have you? Seen anyone around?"  
"No sir, no one. I've been stuck in here since Monday night."  
"Ah, good, that's probably for the best. There's been some death eater activity not too far from here. The order is keeping an eye on it and trying to subtly direct it away, but that's why I came to check on you."  
"Wouldn't it be safer if I was at Grimmauld Place, if it's got a fidelius charm on."  
"Possibly, my boy, possibly, but unfortunately you have to stay here because of the blood wards. You remember your mother gave her life for you, to protect you. I fear that if you don't stay with your blood relatives for at least a month then you will lose that protection during the year."  
What a crock of shit, Severus thought. He was curious whether the headmaster planned his lie out or made them up on the fly, either way it was some impressive bollocks.  
"Will I get to see my friends sometime this summer then, sir."  
"Of course you will Harry. They miss you too and have been near constantly pestering me to bring you. Don't worry, I'll come at the beginning of August to get you and you can spend the rest of the summer with them."  
"Thank you sir. Headmaster, I was wondering if you had any food. The Dursley's will be gone for the rest of the week and they only left me two bananas to eat."  
"Oh dear, that's not good. I'm afraid, though, I only have some lemon drops. Would you like me to give you one."  
"Please sir, I'm so tired."  
"Here we go then, open your mouth." The headmaster popped the sweet into Severus's mouth, his fingers lingering on his lips. Severus closed his eyes as if savouring the sweet, but in reality trying not to suck it, knowing it was laced with a mild calming draught. Dumbledore's hand lingered on his jaw as his thumb caressed Severus's, Harry's, lips.  
"You look so like your father with your eyes closed. He was a very good friend of mine, Harry, I miss him at times like this." Dumbledore's thumb pressed down on Severus's bottom lip and his eyes flew open at the implication. "And there is your mother," Dumbledore said, almost recoiling at the sight. Severus was quietly seething, though he was more glad than ever that he was here instead of Haddy, and at least he now had an idea as to why the marauders got away with so much. He didn't trust himself to speak so sucked on the sweet instead, figuring that a little calming draught would probably do him some good but not wanting to close his eyes for fear of giving the headmaster ideas.  
Dumbledore door sighed as he stood, "I'm afraid I must be off now Harry, the school and the order keep me very busy, no rest for the wicked and all that." Severus barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes at the irony of that statement. "I will see you at the beginning of August, good night Harry and stay safe."  
"Good night, sir."  
Severus lay still in the bed as he heard the lock click shut on the door. He spat the sweet out as he listened to the headmaster return the keys and leave the house. It had been an enlightening evening, disturbing but enlightening. It had also helped keep Severus's cover as the headmaster would now be the last person to have seen Harry Potter before he disappeared. Severus had to smile about that and was curious what the fall out would be like. He went to the window and dropped the leftover sweet into the garden. He was anxious to get back to the manor but knew he should wait a while just in case. He played with the bracelet that was his port key out. A few more hours and he never had to come here again. That thought alone brought a smile to his face.

Haddy stirred. He felt weak and sluggish but warm and comfortable. He recognized this smell, new but safe: Draco. He smiled and snuggled closer to his brother trying to remember what had happened. He could remember the nightmare that was shopping with Draco, then dinner with Severus which had been nice and going back to his room. He'd hated having to be there on his own again, it had been fun hanging out with Draco, but he hadn't wanted to risk Severus's cover and after all it was only one night. He had been woken up by a noise downstairs and someone had burst through his door.  
"Voldemort!" Haddy gasped, desperately trying to open his eyes and sit up.  
"Ssh, Haddy, ssh. You're safe, papas here, just relax."  
"Lucius?"  
"Yes, Hadrian, that's right, welcome home son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very short chapter but this was the only place to stop it. At least you've had another double update today so I hope that makes up for it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some father/son bonding.

Hadrian slowly turned and looked at Lucius Malfoy, his father. It had been a strange few days to say the least but that had to be one of the strangest things of all.  
"What happened? I remember Voldemort coming in but then it gets a bit hazy."  
"Did he say how he found you."  
"Something about his magic being pulled I think."  
"That makes sense. Mama, your grandmother, came and checked on you this morning. She said you'd had a piece of Tom's soul in you, in your scar. You see if a person's soul is damaged there is a spell that can be used to break it into pieces. These pieces can be stored in objects, or in your case another person, and can be used to resurrect them after death. The problem is it leaves the remaining soul and mind weak. It's thought your Black family ring was trying to cleanse the soul from you, which is why it only happened now."  
"Could there have been more than one piece, I remember multiple shadows in a white light."  
"Most likely, mama said Tom's mind is very damaged but the elves are healing him."  
"So what, no more Voldemort, I'm free."  
"Yes, son you are. Even your scar has gone."  
Hadrian reached up and touched his forehead only to find it perfectly smooth. He grinned stupidly at the thought that he really was no longer the boy who lived until he looked up and saw Lucius Malfoy, death eater extraordinaire.  
"What about the death eaters, what will happen to them?"  
"They'll disband most likely, especially if mama is correct and the old Tom comes back. We only formed when he changed and became that monster you knew. He tortured us, threatened us and our families until we became death eaters. That's why we hate the name Voldemort. Not that we fear the name, that's ridiculous, we fear the creature that used it, that took over our friend."  
"Are you trying to tell me none of the death eaters enjoyed torturing muggles?"  
"There were some among us that were always more extreme. McNair has always had a love of death, that's why he became an executioner, though I don't think it necessarily had to be muggles. Dolohov was a true believer as it were, Karkaroff testified to that, the world definitely got darker when he escaped Azkaban. Mulciber and Barty Crouch junior weren''t so much against muggles as Dumbledore and his ideas, they got more extreme after the murder of Lysander."  
"Whose Lysander?"  
"Lysander Lestrange, Bella and Rodo's son. He and their house elf were murdered on night when the Lestranges had been here celebrating my birthday. Frank Longbottom had been in charge of the case but had assumed early on that Bella and Rodo had killed him and we were covering for them. As far as I'm aware he did not investigate so Barty and Mulciber took up the mantle."  
"What did they find out?"  
"I don't know, Barty found out something, grabbed Rab, Rodo and Bella and the next thing anyone knows is they've been arrested for torturing Frank and Alice to near insanity. What I did find strange was that Alice had been at home. As far as I had been aware she'd been staying at her mother's to try and nurse Neville back to health. He'd always been very sickly you see."  
"That's strange, Neville never gets ill."  
"Whatever it was, he must have gotten over it though I had suspected it was something inherent."  
"I didn't know of wizards suffering from genetic diseases."  
"Oh yes, the Prewetts, for example, often have extra fingers or toes."  
"But you didn't kill or torture anyone."  
"I'm not going to lie to you, Hadrian, I've done a number of things I'm not proud of but you have nothing to fear from me now."  
"But I did only a couple of months ago."  
"I'm afraid war makes monsters of us all. I knew I was essentially going into battle and Draco had told me you had been training. Given that you'd already killed someone…"  
"I've never killed anyone!"  
"What happened with Quirrell back in your first year? I never knew the details and there was never a body but given that you were the only one down there we assumed it had been you. I'm sorry if I'm mistaken."  
"No, he was attacking me, Voldemort ordered him to, but when he touched me it burned him, so when he went to attack me again I put my hands on his face and held them there till he...oh god I'm a murderer!"  
"It was self defense, Hadrian. You were 11 years old and facing an adult wizard, you are not a cold blooded murderer."  
"But you said…"  
"Because I didn't know. No one knew what had been going on with you before Hogwarts, after the troll incident and then that a lot of people believed Dumbledore had been training you to be a soldier."  
"Why, because I'd had to fight for my life, and the lives of my friends."  
"Because most 11 year olds do not have the skill to do that."  
"But that was mostly luck."  
"As you've explained, but at the time I didn't know. In the ministry, when I said to kill you if they must I meant exactly that, if they had to, if you were overpowering us. Were you not surprised that we didn't just cast avada or cruciatus as soon as we saw you. If we were truly murdering psychopaths wouldn't that be what you do."  
"Bellatrix cast cruciatus on Neville."  
"Briefly as a threat. It's not an excuse but as I explained, she had her own issues with Longbottom. Normally we wouldn't hold children responsible for the actions of their parents but Bella was less stable since she came out of Azkaban."  
"And you're not going to try and kill me anymore, you don't hate me."  
"No Hadrian, I don't hate you and I'm certainly not going to try and kill you."  
"Because I'm your son or because I'm no longer Harry Potter?"  
"Partly because you're my son, yes, but principally because I know you're not with Dumbledore. You have to understand that that man is trying to systematically destroy the wizarding world. I know I sound extreme when I say that but just look at you. He stole you as a child, concealed you, allowed you to be abused and repeatedly, knowingly, put you in situations where your life was at risk. Does that sound like the actions of a good person."  
"No. I know that Dumbledore can't be trusted. But I never really followed him, not with the destruction of the wizarding world and definitely not against magical creatures."  
"Unfortunately for you that's not what the wizarding world was told. Dumbledore and the Weasleys frequently touted that you were an ardent supporter of their cause, having articles published over the summer saying how you thought pureblood ideals were monstrous and all magical creatures should be registered, for their own protection."  
"I will admit I would probably have said I was against pureblood ideals before this summer but only because I didn't know what they were. I thought you all hated muggles and muggleborn wizards and wanted to eradicate them. That only purebloods should exist."  
"Who told you that? Don't worry I can guess. If that was the case then why would we follow a half blood? Why would Severus, also a half blood, be able to rise so high. Purity of the blood doesn't necessitate power, it is just that the more a family mixes with muggles, the weaker their magic becomes."  
"Draco said that's why wizards mixed with magical creatures, to stop inbreeding without having to mix with muggles."  
"Yes, my mother is an elven and Narcissa's mother is a fae. Magical creatures have inherent abilities that are often passed onto their descendants, further strengthening magical lines."  
"My inheritance test said something about that, an affinity for healing and nature magic."  
"Ah, may I advise not informing your grandmother of that unless you plan on pursuing a career in horticulture or healing. She hates it when people, and I quote, squander their magical gifts. Believe me when I say she can be quite brutal."  
"Brutal!"  
"What, no, Hadrian I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Aurelia is a Malfoy and as such family is paramount, she will never do anything to hurt you, none of us will. I was simply referring to the fact that she is eternally disappointed in me for pursuing a career in politics instead of healing and is wont to remind me of that fact every chance she gets."  
"Well I had thought of a career as an auror but I don't think my owl score will be high enough in potions for me to take it as a newt. Maybe I can look into a job as a healer if it doesn't need newt potions."  
"There are ways to take your newts outside of Hogwarts if you did really want to be an auror, though I will say I'd prefer it if you didn't."  
"Worried I'd have to come after you?"  
"No Hadrian, not in the slightest. The DMLE is entirely corrupt. Do you not wonder how I never spent any time. Moody is a vicious arsehole and Kingsley always finds a reason to raid this house when he needs money. It's become such a running joke that Aberforth drops me a message every time he loses big."  
"Really, I know I only met them a few times but I didn't know it was that bad."  
"Didn't you wonder why nobody batted an eye when Moody taught you unforgivables. There's about 50 children in your year, do you think none of their parents complained about 13 year olds such dark magic."  
"Well yeah but that wasn't Moody, it was Crouch."  
"It was Crouch acting like Moody. If that wasn't how Moody usually acted don't you think people would have questioned that behavior."  
"I'm assuming you put in a complaint about him turning Draco into a ferret. He seemed to really hate you but I thought you were friends."  
"He never forgave me for not doing more to help find Lysander's killer."  
"Why didn't you help your friends?"  
"I was raising one child while still grieving the loss of another. It might have been selfish to prioritize my own family over that of my friends but I never said I was perfect."  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just trying to figure everything out."  
"I know, Hadrian and I'm sorry for snapping. I'm trying to explain what I can."  
"I know you're trying and I appreciate it. It's difficult for me, a lot has changed in a short space of time, I'm having a little trouble adjusting."  
"Take your time Hadrian, there is no rush. We hopefully have all our lives to try and forge a relationship, there is no need to force anything."  
"That's what you want, a relationship with me?"  
"Of course, Hadrian, it's what I've always wanted. Even before you were born I used to talk to you and Draco as you were growing in your mother's womb. I used to imagine what we would do after you were born, wonder what you'd be when you grew up. I was devastated when we were told you'd died. When you're feeling better, maybe I can show it to you."  
"I think I'd like that."  
"Good. Now drink your potions and go back to sleep, you still have a lot of healing to do."  
"Alright, goodnight Lucius."  
"Goodnight, son."


	15. Chapter 15

Draco and Haddy woke the next day to the arrival of their O.W.L results. For the first time in his life Haddy had parents to impress, as well as Severus who had stayed the night before, and he suddenly wished he'd been a better student. Not that Hermione hadn't tried to get them to study but at the time he'd been distracted by a manipulative headmaster, a psychopathic defense teacher and a megalomaniacal Dark Lord intent on getting a prophecy that wasn't even about him. At the time those things had seemed vastly important but now, looking at his parent's expectant faces, and Severus's blank face, those things seemed to pale in comparison to making them proud.  
Narcissa must have noticed his apprehension. "Don't worry Hadrian, we love you and are proud of you, regardless of your results."  
"How come it's addressed to Harry Potter still?"  
"I've checked at the ministry and all the proper paperwork is in place," Lucius explained, "some of the signatures are forged but that wouldn't come to light unless there was an investigation. As far as the ministry is concerned you are as legally Harry Potter as you are Hadrian Malfoy."  
Haddy wasn't sure how he felt about that, it must have shown on his face as Draco decided to try and cheer him up.  
"50 galleons I've got better results than you, Haddy."  
"Given that I literally passed out halfway through history of magic, thanks to a certain someone trying to break into my head, I'm pretty sure you did do better than me. But I will pay you 100 galleons if you've done better than Hermione." Draco's jaw dropped. "Before you answer, out of curiosity how many O.W.L's did you take."  
"10," he said smugly, "unlike some people I take my education very seriously."  
"Unlike some people I've had vicious psychopaths after me my whole life."  
"Pretty sure Granger was with you for a lot of that and she manages to do well."  
"I love her, but Hermione is insane when it comes to studying. She was even doing 11 subjects at one stage."  
"How is that even possible?" Severus asked, "the schedule is set up that no more than 10 would be possible."  
"Dumbledore got her a time turner but she dropped muggle studies after third year saying it was too much even for her."  
"Bloody typical," Draco muttered.  
"Are you saying you had access to a time turner during your third year? You wouldn't have happened to use it for purposes unrelated to studying would you?" Lucius asked, working out a few things in his head.  
"No Lucius?" Haddy was aiming for an innocent look on his face but he didn't think he managed it too well if the snickers around the room were anything to go by.  
"Illegal time turner use aside, shall we get on with opening your results so we can have some breakfast."  
Haddy's nerves came back with a vengeance but the boys tore into their envelopes.

Harry Potter:  
Astronomy - A  
Care of magical creatures - E  
Charms - E  
Defense against the dark arts - O  
Divination - P  
Herbology - E  
History of magic - D  
Potions - E  
Transfiguration - E

Draco Malfoy:  
Ancient Runes - E  
Arithmancy - E  
Astronomy - O  
Care of magical creatures - P  
Charms - E  
Defense against the dark arts - A  
Herbology - E  
History of magic - O  
Potions - O  
Transfiguration - E

"Congratulations on the O in defense Hadrian," Narcissa said, "I think you may be the first since Severus."  
"Really, you had an O in defense, Severus?"  
"You need an O to be able to get your masters qualifications."  
"You have a masters in defense as well as potions?" Severus nodded, "that's very impressive."  
Severus blushed at the bright grin Hadrian sent him. He glared at Lucius when he started to snicker.  
"How did you manage to get an O anyway?" asked Draco.  
"I showed them my patronus."  
"A patronus at owl level is very impressive, Hadrian," Lucius said, "and also very useful. Do you think you would be able to teach Draco?"  
Haddy beamed with pride, "of course, I taught everyone in the DA."  
"What form does it take?" Draco asked.  
"A stag, I used to think it had to do with James but I don't know now."  
Lucius seemed to be exchanging knowing looks with Severus, which Severus was pointedly ignoring. He was just about to ask what it was about when Severus spoke up.  
"Well done on your potions results Hadrian, by the way, that better than I expected," Severus commented.  
"Yes Severus, though still not good enough to attend your N.E.W.T. class which means you don't have to worry about me being an auror Lucius."  
"You can always retake it if that's what you want, Hadrian. I just worry that you'll be disappointed by it."  
"No," interrupted Narcissa, "you will not be undertaking a career as an auror, Hadrian, it's far too dangerous. We've just got you in our lives, I don't want to be worrying about your safety everyday."  
"Don't worry Narcissa, Lucius suggested I look into a job in healing."  
"That will make mama happy," Lucius said, "though I am a little disappointed with that history of magic score, even if you did pass out in the exam."  
"Sorry, Lucius," Haddy said, feeling a bit despondent, "I always struggled with professor Binns class, it always made me fall asleep."  
"That's fine Hadrian, but knowledge of history is important so we'll be adding that to your studies over the summer."  
Hadrian groaned at Lucius's announcement which caused Draco to chuckle.  
"Welcome to the family, brother."

The boys had breakfast in bed with their parents and Severus, as they were still feeling weak, and applied for their newt level courses before going back to sleep. Their parents promised to buy their books ready for them, even if they're confined to bed rest they can still study. Thankfully the studying wasn't as intense as Haddy had feared, it mostly involved reading ahead on their school texts and lessons on finance. Haddy was also encouraged to study history, reading biographies instead of the usual books Binns used as he found it easier to remember the stories than dry facts.  
Lady Aurelia came to check on the boys' progress as she said she didn't trust Lucius's prognosis. Haddy was a little intimidated by her at first, seeing exactly where Lucius got his bearing from. She certainly wasn't the warmest of people but Haddy could tell that she cared, she seemed very upset about the way the Dursley's had treated him and said she would be keeping a close eye on his recovery.  
"Your exam results were acceptable," she said, "have you thought about your future careers? I do hope you're not going to follow your father into politics Draco."  
"I don't know yet grandmother, at the moment I'm just trying to do the best I can in all my subjects to optimize my choices after school."  
"Hmmm," said Aurelia, clearly not impressed, "what about you, Hadrian, are you also trying to optimise your options."  
"No, lady Aurelia, I thought about becoming an auror last year but I've not got a high enough grade to take it on for newt level so that's not an option any more."  
"I should hope not, auror is not an appropriate career."  
"I know, Lucius has already said, he suggested I look into a career as a healer as my inheritance test suggested I have an affinity for it."  
"Quite right Hadrian, my son talks sense from time to time. I can bring you some books on basic healing, if you like, to see if it suits you."  
"Thank you, Lady Aurelia, that would be great. By the way, how is Tom Riddle doing?"  
"Don't worry Hadrian, you're safe, he's still in a magical coma. I'm afraid the damage to his mind is quite substantive so it will be some time before we can risk bringing him back round."  
"Thank you Lady Aurelia."  
She smiled and bid goodbye to the boys, reminding them to take it easy while they were recovering and promised to check on them again soon.  
It wasn't long before the boys were up and about again and it was time for Haddy to learn what it means to be a Malfoy.

It wasn't as daunting as he thought. Lucius took it upon himself to teach Haddy how to run an estate and Narcissa took him out to check on the farms. Hadrian had been surprised to learn that he had properties like that as well.  
"How did you think we got our income? Yes, papa has an official job at the ministry but that would hardly pay the bills on a place like this?" Draco had asked one evening as the family sat together in the parlor after supper.  
"I don't know, the only Black family property I was aware of was…"  
"Was where?" Narcissa enquired.  
"I can't say. Dumbledore has it under a fidelius charm because they use it as the order headquarters."  
"That sucks," said Draco, "maybe you could kick them out."  
"I don't know. Maybe it's good because at least we know where they are, and maybe Kreacher can spy for us. I know he didn't like Harry Potter but he did always like the Malfoys."  
Hadrian could see Narcissa thinking, "where is this property?"  
"It's in London, it needs a lot of work doing to it. It's a grim old place," Hadrian said with a grin.  
Narcissa smiled back, having guessed what he was talking about "yes I assume it. But no that is just the town property, there is a country property as well, out in Gloucestershire."  
"Hadrian we really ought to visit your properties over this summer, to check what needs doing to get them producing again." Lucius, ever the practical one.  
"I never thought of wizards as farmers before."  
"Where do you think we got our food or potions ingredients from?" Draco asked incredulously, "I mean can you really imagine the like of papa or Dumbledore going to a muggle shop for some bread."  
"Speaking of muggle shops, Hadrian when are you going to take me shopping in the muggle world? I really want to see if it's really as good as Draco said."  
Lucius groaned.  
"Um, never?"  
"Shut up Haddy. Mama that's an excellent idea, shall we go tomorrow."  
Haddy knew a losing battle when he saw one. He suggested going to London instead this time and wondered whether they should invite Severus as well, if he wasn't too busy, ignoring Draco's knowing look. Lucius agreed saying it would be good to have another voice of reason to counter the shopping madness.

Severus said he was unfortunately busy, Lucius said he was a coward, but to make up for not coming, and to say thank you to Lucius for helping with his inheritance, he booked them a table at the Dorchester for lunch. The Malfoys had never understood muggles' insistence for staying in hotels until they saw the place, then it became entirely obvious. They had decided to come for lunch first so they wouldn't have to rush and, Haddy suspected, to cut out a whole morning of shopping. Lunch wasn't an overly extravagant affair but the quality of the food was remarkable and Lucius wondered if it was possible to convince the chefs to come to the magical world instead.  
Hadrian then suggested Selfridge's, he'd never been but he knew it was famously upmarket and figured it might be easier to contain the madness in one building; Lucius had already warned the goblin that morning that he would need a large quantity of muggle currency. Hadrian had the ingenious idea of using the personal shopper services and informing them of Draco and Narcissa spending limits. Lucius asked whether Haddy wanted to go shopping as well but was heartened when Haddy replied "I have 10 pairs of shoes, why in God's name do I need anymore?"  
"Don't let Draco hear you say that."  
"Oh, don't worry, we already had that argument last time we went shopping. 10 pairs was the compromise."  
Father and son leisurely browsed the store at their own pace, Hadrian explaining things to Lucius where required. Lucius was impressed with Hadrian's natural taste and tendency towards more classic styles, like himself, as opposed to Draco and Narcissa's more flamboyant styles, and hoped that sense would pass over to business transactions as well.  
"Well I already have one investment. Weasleys wizarding wheezes, I gave them my winnings from the triwizard tournament as start-up money."  
"I don't know if I would have advised giving them such a large amount but it was a good investment by all accounts. I hear their products went down a treat last year, Zonkos are already worrying."  
"I'm glad, I always got on well with those two."  
"Definitely my favorite in the family, though that's not necessarily difficult."  
"How come there's so much animosity between your families, if you don't mind me asking."  
"They're lazy and give purebloods a bad name. Did you know they created the department of misuse of muggle artifacts just to give Arthur something to do because no one wanted to work with him. He would never take any work home, always leave at best on time if not early and frequently took well over an hour for lunch. It may not sound like much but when your colleagues are all working overtime to get work done it gets immensely annoying, and his excuse was that he was a pureblood so why should he have to do the same level of work as everyone else. He was shuffled from department to department until everyone had had enough so told him he was heading his own division. Thankfully there is very little work for him to do. That's why their son Percy is so upset with them. He joined the ministry and is now having to fight his father's bad reputation to get anywhere. He seems to be doing well for himself though so there's hope yet."  
"What about Mrs Weasley?"  
"Molly Weasley is just the same. She married Arthur with dreams that he would one day be minister of magic and was most upset when it never happened, always waiting for him to get that elusive promotion. Did you not wonder why they had such a large family compared to everyone else?"  
"Yeah but when I asked Molly just said she always wanted a big family."  
"Ha, it so she has an excuse not to get a job. Plenty of wizarding families aren't as well off as us, not through any fault of their own it's just unfortunately the way of the world. When that's the case they frequently only have a few children and then both parents go into work, either working around each other, asking family to help or they wait for children to start school if the others aren't possible. All the Weasley children have either left home or are at school for 9 months of the year and yet, despite struggling to make ends meet, Molly Weasley does nothing all day. People don't dislike them for being poor but for not doing anything to help themselves."  
Hadrian and Lucius had a surprisingly enjoyable afternoon with Lucius being particularly impressed with the amount of book muggles had on occult arts. They had a good laugh at some of the 'spell' books available but Hadrian was interested to learn about the pagan beliefs that a lot of the purebloods still upheld. The Malfoys would be attending a feast at the Parkinson's on 1st August and Lucius asked if Hadrian would like to join them. Haddy wasn't sure but he didn't think so. He was still getting used to the new him himself and somehow felt that informing the Slytherins before his friends was somehow a betrayal. Lucius understood but said the invitation was still there if he changed his mind.  
They met up with Draco and Narcissa when the store was closing and Lucius was impressed they managed to keep within their limits. Draco had been disappointed that there wasn't a Starbucks or Krispy Kreme but hoped the chocolates he brought would make up for it. Haddy had brought a French press as well as some Italian roast beans and promised to show Draco how to make his own coffee, or better show Minty how to do it for him.


	16. Chapter 16

Hadrian had begun to enjoy his time with the Malfoys. Narcissa was happy to have his help in the garden; Draco may have had very good herbology knowledge but he never got his hands dirty unless he had to. Haddy liked the mornings they spent together and when they went to check on the tenant farmers. In the afternoons he could often be found flying around the grounds with Draco, either exploring or playing with a practice snitch. Evenings were spent in conversation with Draco and Lucius discussing politics and business, not something he ever thought he'd enjoy but it was nice to have people listen to his opinions, even if they didn't agree with him they would still listen to what he was saying and they would have a discussion. Haddy realized no one had ever cared about his opinion, he'd always had to force his way into things to be heard. It made him feel appreciated. As such, the days flew by and he'd completely lost track of the days until he was woken one night to scratching at his window. It was midnight on July 31st and his friends had sent his presents as usual. Only this year he hadn't been waiting up as he knew it wasn't actually his birthday. Letting the owls in he looked through his usual gifts: chocolate from Ron, books from Hermione and rock cakes from Hagrid and even some photos from Remus and a plant from Neville, all with letters. He knew Ron was an arsehole who was only using him for his fame and money but he didn't know about the others. Hermione had said she missed him and was looking forward to when he could go to Grimmauld place with them all, saying she hoped he'd learnt his lesson about studying with the owls and had all her school books already so they could get ahead on his reading. The fact that she seemed so excited about the idea of them studying together and he started feeling guilty about having done so much of his studying already.  
Hagrid's gift, as usual, was better for building than eating but he said he hoped Harry was having a good summer and was looking forward to seeing Harry at the start of term. Harry was never sure if Hagrid deliberately ignored what he said about life with the Dursley's or just didn't remember.  
Remus had said that he missed Sirius too and would be happy to talk about things but Dumbledore had him on missions so would probably not see him much this summer. Haddy wondered what these missions were as he knew for a fact that Voldemort wasn't up to anything and queried whether it was some excuse for them not to spend too much time together.  
Neville's letter explained that the plant was called dittany and it was good for healing wounds and scars and could help with the damage he'd acquired from Umbridge's detentions. Haddy had known this already as Narcissa had made a point of cultivating a load to heal the scars on his hand. He was impressed at Neville, however, as Haddy had never told him about the detentions but he'd figured it out anyway.  
All in all, looking at the gifts made him feel like a complete dick and, for the first time since he went to Gringotts, Haddy wondered whether he had made the right choices.

Draco had been surprised when Haddy hadn't already been down at breakfast when he woke up; Haddy was always an early riser thanks to having to get up and make breakfast for the Dursley's whereas Draco always slept in insisting he needed his beauty sleep to maintain his good looks. When he'd been informed Haddy had yet to come out of his room Draco went straight upstairs to investigate. He found his brother asleep in the middle of his bed, an assortment of letters and objects around him, dry tear tracks staining his face. Worried about what could have upset his brother so much Draco read the letters and kicked himself for forgetting. Careful moving the gifts and letters to Haddy's desk, he made a vow to himself that no matter what happened he would be there for his little brother, who'd been through so much but had such a capacity for love. He asked the house elves to bring some breakfast up for Haddy when he woke, knowing he needed regular meals to negate the malnutrition, and gently kissed Haddy on his head, taking care not to wake him, and left a note telling Haddy to find him in the library when he woke up, planning on doing whatever Haddy wanted that day.

Haddy awoke in the late morning with a bit of a headache, most likely from dehydration from falling asleep crying. He noticed the food and potion that had been left for him as well as the note from Draco. He realized, with a smile, that this was the family he'd been missing so long; people that could tell when something was wrong without him having to say, who would be there for him no matter what. Although the Weasleys had never withheld food from him it had always been given on their terms. If Haddy had had a nightmare and woke up late he'd just be told it was nearly lunch and he could wait. Of course he hadn't complained, two square meals with the Weasleys was better than scraps with the Dursley's, but the Malfoys went beyond that, making sure the meals were balanced and not too big as to risk making him ill. Haddy had learned the hard way the terrors of over eating when he'd ended up eating far too much in his first year and bringing it all back up again. He assumed that's where Dumbledore got the idea for bulimia from.  
He decided to spend the morning writing replies to his friends, he knew Draco would wait and he had to admit he still got a perverse pleasure from winding his brother up. He felt awful about having forgotten it was Neville's birthday even if it wasn't his and decided to send him a fae book on raising rare plants that Narcissa had given him, he wasn't sure if it was considered rare but was prepared to apologize to Narcissa if necessary. It was a relief to know that even if it was rare he wouldn't get punished for giving it away, at least not in the sense that the Dursley's would. He thanked the others for their gifts, even Ron, but didn't bother saying anything about seeing them again. Draco's actions that morning had reminded him of everything he'd gained this summer and, no matter what happened in the future, he was glad he'd found his family.

Haddy had to laugh when he finally got to the library and saw how anxious Draco was, the boy clearly wasn't used to waiting for things.  
"Don't laugh, you arse, I've been worrying about you all morning."  
"I know Draco and I'm sorry I took so long, I wanted to reply to the letters so they know I'm alright. Oh is that fae book Narcissa gave me really rare or like a family heirloom or something?"  
"No, it's just a basic text, like our school books, why?"  
"I forgot it was Neville's birthday, like the dick I am, and obviously hadn't got him anything so I sent him that book as I figured he might not have come across it before."  
"He definitely wouldn't have. Augusta Longbottom loathes anything to do with magical creatures and the old ways. Hopefully he'll have the sense to hide it from her or she'll probably burn it."  
"Oh god, I hope I haven't got him in trouble."  
"I'm sure he'll be fine, Haddy, and I'm sure he'll appreciate the book. He has always had a real love of plants, it almost seemed to rival mama's. You seem to be in a good mood though. I was worried when I saw you this morning, I thought you might be missing your friends."  
"I was for a bit, when the letters first arrived, but then I remembered what I had here now and it didn't seem like such a loss."  
"You don't say. Anyway, I planned on doing whatever you wanted today regardless, it being your fake birthday and all, so what do you want to do."  
That was a surprisingly hard question for Haddy, he'd never been given carte blanche before and found it a bit daunting. Draco suggested they do something that he'd wanted to do when he was younger. Haddy suggested they go swimming and Narcissa managed to arrange a car to take them to the waterpark in the nearby city of Swindon. The boys had a whale of a time flying down the slides, even Narcissa enjoyed herself, questioning whether they had a giant squid hidden somewhere as the wave machine was very good. Haddy questioned what wizards usually did for fun and was surprised when he was told there wasn't anything in the wizarding world like the Oasis leisure centre and that usually wizards stayed at home or visited friends. Haddy thought they were missing out and Draco agreed, already considering possibilities. He tried to explain to Draco about cinemas, bowling, arcades but they seemed to be too far out of Draco's imagination for him to truly grasp the concept. That didn't, however, stop Draco from insisting they visit these places so he can judge for himself. Narcissa, understably, was more interested in the idea of museums, theatres and concerts and suggested that they explore some muggle culture during the rest of their holidays. Hadrian certainly didn't mind that idea, not having had the opportunity to do much with the Dursley's.


	17. Chapter 17

August 1st had dawned bright and clear but it wasn't until lunchtime that Albus Dumbledore made his way to 4 Privet Drive. He didn't want to be too early, better to keep the boy waiting, he'd be more grateful for the rescue then. Letting himself into the house he was confronted by a confused Petunia Dursley.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to collect Harry, of course."

"I thought you'd taken him already, that's what your letter said."

"What letter, the only one I sent was weeks ago with some money to cover any damages Harry might have caused. I would ask to see this letter but i assume you've burned it."

"Of course, as soon as we'd read it, the same as all the others."

"Damn it! When did you last see him."

"Not since we'd been to Marge's, he was gone when we got back."

"He's been gone for nearly two weeks! That makes things difficult, I'll have to run some tests. Did you notice anything when you returned?"

"Just that the door to his room was open and his stuff was gone. The letter was in the room instead of the boy."

Realising that he'd been the last one to see Harry, Dumbledore quickly ran every trace and track spell he could think of to no avail, unsurprising given the length of time the boy had been missing. He knew he'd definitely locked the door behind him after he'd visited Harry the other day but couldn't think of anything that was off about the room. He was stumped and he didn't like it, didn't like the boy being where he couldn't control him. He bid Petunia farewell, reassuring her she wasn't at fault and would still receive her payment, and returned to Grimmauld place to call an emergency meeting.

Snape was very grateful that he was known for being stoic as he would have struggled to feign surprise at hearing of Harry Potter's disappearance. Thankfully the morons were too busy tripping over themselves in panic to notice his near glee at the fact they couldn't find any trace of the boys. He was shocked that it was Miss Granger who thought to ask if he'd heard anything in Death Eater circles.

"No I haven't Miss Granger but I believe there is a Lammas celebration at the Parkinson's today. I can always stop by and see what I can find out."

"At the stage you can just invite yourself to death eater gatherings, are you Snape?" Moody asked snidely.

Severus simply nodded, unwilling to point out that it was a religious celebration and they wouldn't turn Moody himself away so long as he wasn't there to cause trouble.

"Good idea, Severus," said Albus, probably thinking it would disintegrate into an argument, "if you can keep an eye on the death eaters for any sign of Harry that will be good. As long as he doesn't end up captured I don't think we have anything to worry about. I'll get you an emergency port key so if he is captured you can get him out. It is imperative Voldemort not get his hands on Harry."

Severus barely contained his laughter at the irony of that statement. "Of course headmaster, though if I'm spending more time checking up on the families of death eaters then I hope you'll understand if I fall behind with some of your potion orders."

"About that, Severus, I've asked Horace Slugghorn to take back over as potions professor and have appointed you as defense professor."

"I assume that he's going to be less stringent about which students he allows to study at N.E.W.T level."

"Quite, I have already applied on behalf of Harry and Mr Weasley as we wouldn't want them to miss out."

"I'm sure Mr Potter will be delighted to learn that when he gets to school."

"If he gets to school, sir. I'm going to go write to him now, see if I can persuade him to come back from wherever he is."

"Leave off Hermione, you know that's just what he wants, more attention. Don't give it to him and he's sure to come crawling back with his tail between his legs."

"I don't care if he's doing it on purpose Ron, I'm worried about him. If he responds then at least I know he's safe and not buried in a ditch somewhere." With that she stormed out.

"Poor show little brother."

"Yes Ronniekins, you'll never get in her pants that way."

"Stop that nonsense you two," said Mrs Weasley, turning to the twins, "Ron only sees Hermione as a friend. That Brown girl, she would be a good girlfriend, I'm sure she'd like to be with someone like my Ron."

The twins pulled a face before taking their leave, claiming they needed to get back to their shop. Severus bid farewell as well, quietly shadowing the twins as they made their way out.

"Where do you think our Harry could be."

"I don't know but I don't blame him for wanting to get away from his relatives."

"Me neither brother, we can check with Hermione if she gets a reply, don't want to inundate him with too many owls in case he's trying to lie low."

"Good idea. I'm most disappointed in Ron though, I'd have thought he'd be at least a little worried."

"Attention, remember brother, he always wants all of it, has since Ginny was born."

"Too true, unfortunately."

Severus watched as they left the house, waiting till they were away from the building before going outside. He was glad, for Hadrian's sake, that he seemed to have some true friends. He would make sure Hadrian owled them to let them know he was OK. Severus was pretty sure they would still accept him even when they learned the truth.

While the order was in chaos at Grimmauld place Hadrian was experiencing chaos of his own at the Parkinson's. He had decided to join the Malfoys at the Lammas celebration though he'd been apprehensive of his reception. Everyone had listened to the story of how Harry Potter had been found to be Hadrian Malfoy all along and had quietly accepted him into the group, he was even encouraged to make his own corn dolly and break bread with them. Draco explained that they would be digesting the information and would certainly have questions for him at a later date but for now it was enough that he wasn't Dumbledore's puppet. Haddy had to admit there were benefits to doing things the Slytherin way as opposed to Gryffindors asking anything and everything that came to their heads.  
The celebration itself was a boisterous affair, with lots of noise, lots of feasting and, much to Hadrian's dismay, lots of dancing. At first Haddy had been worried that he would be expected to dance but found sitting with Crabbe and Goyle kept people from asking. He was surprised to find they weren't as dumb as they appeared but apparently used it as a defense saying it meant people were constantly underestimating them, very good for spying.

"Opposite of Weasley, pretending to be smart just cos he's not terrible at chess," said Crabbe.

"He is the reigning Gryffindor champion," Haddy pointed out.

"Yes but that doesn't necessarily mean anything, it depends how good the rest of Gryffindor is. For example how many of you had played wizarding chess before coming here."

"Erm, not many."

"Precisely, whereas Weasley would have practically been playing it from birth, family's famous for it, so it wasn't really much of a competition."

"Does everyone know that?"

"That Weasleys are good at chess, yeah, anyone in the magical world anyway."

"Oh, guess it's another thing that I have to question."

"I won't ask. Anyway if you want some pointers I'll be glad to help. Been playing all my life as well, Draco refuses to play with me cos he barely wins."

"Thanks Crabbe, that'll be cool."

"Call me Vincent or Vince, and just do me a favor and make sure you play him in the great hall so I can see his face when you win."

"If I win Vince, and call me Hadrian, or Haddy like Draco."

"Even if you don't win Hadrian, you'll be much better and that'll shock him."

"Is Vince trying to get you to defect, Malfoy, cos apparently Draco's doing a piss poor job," asked Pansy Parkinson, coming over with Draco to join the group.

"It's not a poor job, Pans, I'm just planning on letting the weasel do the work for me."

"It's going to be that bad isn't it," Hadrian groaned.

"Oh my poor brother, I would say I'm sorry but I'm looking forward to rubbing his nose in it so much!"

"Please go easy Drake, for my sake, you know I'm going to be public enemy number one wherever I am."

"Which is why you should join us snakes," said Pansy, clearly on a mission.

"I'm thinking about it Parkinson, though I'm worried about what poor Draco here will do if I come and kick him off the team."

"I'll be a chaser obviously, I prefer that position anyway, more action and it's easier to dictate the game. Plus that Weasley chit is hardly competition, though I will say it was fun rubbing their faces in it when you were banded."

"Glad you could enjoy yourself at my expense."  
"Always, Haddy, always."

"You two haven't really changed have you," Pansy observed.

"Not really Parkinson, it's just not vindictive anymore."

"Call me Pansy, by the way I expect you to take me shopping in the muggle world before we go back."

"Oh god not another one." At that point Severus showed up carrying a book. "Severus, thank God, save me please, the shopaholics are multiplying."

Severus chuckled, "I'm sorry Hadrian, but you're as likely to stop Miss Parkinson as your brother." Hadrian groaned. "Before you get too despondent I come bearing news, Dumbledore has discovered your disappearance."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Well they've tried looking for you but as far as the headmaster is concerned so long as you're not with the dark lord he doesn't mind."

"Why am I not surprised."

"Miss Granger will be writing to you to ascertain if you are OK, I advise you reply. You might also want to get in contact with the devil twins, they seemed genuinely concerned with your safety."

"But no one else."

"Not that I heard but I might have missed something." Hadrian looked despondent.

"What's that you've got, uncle Sev?" Draco asked.

"That is in reference to my other news. Albus Dumbledore, in his infinite wisdom has hired Horace Slugghorn as potions professor."

"Oh god," cried Draco, "papa said he was an absolute arse."

"I doubt he used that turn of phrase Draco, but regardless it means the criteria for N.E.W.T level potions has dropped and Dumbledore has already signed up both Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. As I know you haven't got a text yet, Hadrian, I thought I'd lend you my old book, you may find it useful."

"Thank you Severus but what about you, won't you be teaching anymore?"

"I have been given the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor so I'm afraid you won't be getting rid of me yet Hadrian."

"Wouldn't dream of it Severus, in fact I look forward to showing you what I can do."

To say the Slytherins were shocked to see their head of house being friendly with a Gryffindor was an understatement and there were several jaws scraping the floor. Draco, on the other hand, was intrigued. He knew why his brother was flirting with his godfather but he was curious to know why Severus was flirting back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Managed to get ahead of myself again so back to a double update, enjoy guys.
> 
> I'm also trying some different formatting so please let me know what you think.


	18. Chapter 18

Hermione's letter didn't come until the next day, when Haddy was sitting with his family having breakfast.

'Dear Harry,

Where are you? Dumbledore just called a meeting to tell us you were missing. The whole order went to look for you but couldn't trace where you'd gone.

Thankfully professor Snape is keeping an eye out on you-know-who and the death eaters. I know you haven't always trusted him but Dumbledore does, he's given Snape a port key in case you get captured so use it please.

Why didn't you come here, or to the Burrow, or to the twins. Heck you could've gone to my parents even, you didn't have to go off on your own. If this was about how the Dursley's treated you I'll understand, I'm sure it's much worse than you actually say, I know you and I know how much you hate attention, so I know you wouldn't make a big deal out of it even if it's truly terrible. I remember what   
you were like with Umbridge and that quill. I still think you should have told someone about that. You know I think she targeted you specifically because she knew you wouldn't speak out, no one else had to use it. This is why you should always speak up Harry, I know the Dursley's did their best to beat that out of you but it's true and the sooner you realise this the better.

If this is about Sirius then remember it's not your fault, Bellatrix Lestrange was the one who fired the curse that sent him through the veil, not you. You didn't ask him to come, he went there himself, it's not your fault. I know you miss him, we all do, and I know it's hard for you to lose someone so close to you but you don't have to grieve alone, we're all here for you.

If the reason you ran away is because of the prophecy then I still understand. I may not be the one fated to fight the dark lord but I get that that's a lot of responsibility to put on a 16 year old. Just remember you don't have to face it alone, Ron and I will be right there with you, as will the rest of the order. We are all here for you so come back and talk to us.

We're not angry at you, even though running away, in the middle of a war, from a warded house, to god knows where is a ridiculously stupid thing to do, we're not angry we're just upset. I'm upset Harry. I thought I was your friend, I thought you knew you could trust me with anything. I thought you cared. Now I'm left wondering what could possibly make you do something so reckless, worried out of my mind that they're going to find you dead in a ditch somewhere, or worse you're going to get captured and tortured before anyone can get to you.

Come back please. Or at least let me know you're alright. I'm going out of my mind here and I know Ron is worried too. He might not say it but I know he cares, deep down.

I miss you, I miss my friend.

Hermione.'

The tears were streaming down Haddy's face before he even got to the end of the letter. Narcissa pulled him onto her lap and stroked his back as he sobbed into her shoulder and clung onto her for dear life.

"I'm a horrible person, mama."

"Hush, Hadrian, don't talk such nonsense. She's worried for you yes, but you didn't know she would be. For all you know she could've been like that Weasley boy, only using you for your name. At least you know you can trust her now."

"Your mama is right, Hadrian," Lucius said, having skimmed over the letter himself, "I know you're feeling guilty right now but there is nothing wrong with protecting yourself, especially after everything you've been through. If she's as good a friend as she seems then she will understand why you are like this when you explain it to her."

"But when is that going to be, I don't feel right lying to her until the start of term."  
"Whenever you want, son. It's your secret after all, it's up to you who you tell and when. I will offer my advice if you wish but ultimately the decision is yours."

"Really!" Hadrian was shocked, it was rare for him to be given such control, especially over his life, he'd always been told what to do, where to go. The idea that this decision, that would affect the Malfoys as much as him, was his and his alone to make filled him with both awe and fear.

"But it's not just me that would be affected."

"Do you think we'd be ashamed of you, brother? Of course we'd be happy to tell everyone you're a Malfoy, we love you Haddy. But papa is right, it has to be your decision."

"Hadrian, I would be more than happy to tell everyone you're my son. I would, in fact, advise you to inform Miss Granger of your situation, tell her to keep it to herself if you must, but if she's a true friend and you trust her there's no reason to keep her in the dark. You could even invite her to come to the manor."

"Thank you, papa, I really appreciate it. I don't think I want Dumbledore and the order to find out yet, I'm enjoying not having to be the boy-who-lived, not being expected to fight."

"Hadrian, no matter what happens you will not be expected to fight," Lucius said. "No one should ever be expected to fight let alone a child and you will certainly not be expected to have an active role in anything that is going to happen."

Hadrian laughed. "I don't think I'll know what to do with myself, I feel like I've spent so much of my life with the threat of Voldemort hanging over me, feeling like I didn't have a choice. It's strange for me to not have to worry about any of that. Nice but strange."

"Well you definitely won't be doing anything dangerous if I have anything to say about it," announced Narcissa, still rubbing his back soothingly. "Anyway, how about inviting Miss Granger to visit. That way she can see for herself that you're well."

"That would be nice, thank you mama, though I'm worried about the order finding out and causing trouble for you. I love Hedwig but she is quite recognizable."  
"You could always contact her via the Weasley twin," Lucius suggested, "as your business partner it's in their interest to help you even if not as your friends. They can arrange a time together and they can port-key here."

Hadrian was ecstatic at the thought and hugged both his parents before rushing off to write his letters. He was looking forward to being able to see his friends again. As he was writing he received another owl, this time from Neville. Apparently he'd been overjoyed at receiving the book as he'd always been curious about the fae's methods of horticulture but had never been able to research it as his grandmother thought all magical creatures were dark and dangerous. Thankfully he'd managed to spell the book to look like one of his school books so she would be none the wiser.

That night the family were enjoying an evening of exploding snap when the fireplace burst into green flames.

"Lucius, Narcissa, where are you? We have a problem. The dark lord went out a few weeks ago and no one knows where he is," the disembodied head of Bellatrix Lestrange said, looking around the room and spotting Hadrian. "Who are you?"

"This is my son, sister, our Hadrian's come back to us."

"That's not possible Cissy, he died, you buried him."

"Arguably we buried the ashes as somehow there was a mix up and he was accidentally put down for cremation."

"But still it can't be. How do you know."

"He had an inheritance test at Gringotts," Lucius said, "it's confirmed Bella, it's our Hadrian. He was living as someone else all this time."

"Who?"

"That's not important."

"Yes it is Lucius," Bellatrix demanded, "who was he living as?"

"Leave it, sis, please."

"No Cissy, you don't understand, it's important, I need to know. Who did Hadrian used to be?"

"Harry Potter," said Hadrian, "hello again Bellatrix."

Bella was stunned. "I knew it, it makes sense now. Rodo said I was crazy but I knew, a mother always knows."

"What did you know, Bella?"

"My Lysander, he's alive as well, I felt it at the ministry."

"Who do you think is Lysander?"

"Neville Longbottom."

"I think maybe you should come through, sister."


	19. Chapter 19

Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange came through the fireplace and Hadrian began to worry. His and Bellatrix's last confrontation had been explosive, literally, and he hoped it wouldn't come to blows though he felt sure that the Malfoys would back him if it did.

Lucius explained to the Lestranges what had happened between Hadrian and Tom Riddle and Hadrian was surprised to see them relieved.

"It'll be good if the elves can heal him," said Rodolphus, "it has been hell living in fear all this time and it will be a hard blow against Dumbledore's ilk."

"Quite right," agreed Lucius, "mama says they are making good progress and I know the goblins are building a strong case against him. Although their word won't hold much sway over the Wizengamot at least we can put a dent in his finances and, when we are ready, Severus and Hadrian can take their family seats."

"I'm still curious as to how Hadrian ended up with Potter?" Rodolphus asked.

"I'm not sure exactly," Lucius explained, "the Potters were there at the same time as us, I remember him suggesting his son may be born before mine. Narcissa had complications though, Draco came out the wrong way and it had taken a long time for him to come out. Hadrian had breathed in some fluid when he was in the womb and wasn't breathing when he came out, they took him away but said they couldn't revive him."

"And you think there was an intentional switch?"

"Well we were a little preoccupied grieving our son but I'm sure I remember hearing about Lily going to stay with family in Wales to take it easy after their scare then showing up some months later with a baby," Narcissa said, "but Bella said something about Lysander, what do you think happened there?"

"As you know we'd come home from your party to find Bustle, our house elf, dead and Lysander gone. Frank Longbottom had been assigned the case but didn't seem to want to do anything. We couldn't do much ourselves at first, with Tom seeming to descend further into madness each day. After he was gone, though, Barty managed to sneak into the aurors office, what with them all going barmy after Potter's death. He found our file and saw Longbottom had been sitting on evidence: some hair was found at the scene and it belonged to Longbottom himself. Barty instantly came and grabbed us and Rab and we went to confront him. His wife was there as well and they weren't even sorry, said he'd been happy to kill our son and was looking forward to pinning it all on us, that no one would believe a bunch of dirty death eaters. We snapped, we started torturing them, then Bella heard a baby crying. She broke down crying herself and we stopped, that's when the aurors arrived. We admit to torturing the Longbottoms but I don't know they would go insane from that."

"Oh Bella I'm so sorry," exclaimed Narcissa, rushing to give her sister a hug.

"It's alright Cissa. It was hard in Azkaban, the aurors liked to come and play, what with me being the only woman there, I know now that i wasn't right when we got out. I've been getting some help from a mind healer since but at the time, when I saw the boy at the ministry, I saw red. I remembered all of that night and I tortured an innocent child," Bellatrix looked distraught at this idea, "it was when I was holding him, I felt a pull, like I had when I held Lysander, I thought I'd truly gone crazy." She turned to face Hadrian then and he tensed, "Harry, Hadrian, I'm sorry for taunting you after Sirius died. You were hurting, and just because I wasn't sorry that the bastard had accidentally fallen through the veil, I shouldn't have rubbed your face in it."

Hadrian was shocked, he had so many questions. "You're saying you didn't mean to kill Sirius?"

"Of course not, I hit him with expelliarmus and he fell back with the force. He was a controlling, manipulative bastard though and made many people's lives hell. Regulus, Severus, even Peter found it was easier to go along with him instead of fighting him and being subject to vicious bullying techniques he passed off as pranks."

Having seen some of the things Sirius classed as 'pranks' he didn't find that too hard to believe. "But are you sure Neville is Lysander?"

"I am. I started seeing a mind healer after the disaster at the ministry, it was a bit of a pain with polyjuice potion and memory charms but I felt it was necessary. They said I couldn't be right either, I was projecting, but after hearing that Hadrian was Harry Potter I can't stop thinking that my instincts are correct."

"I disagree," said Rodolphus, "that Longbottom child was notably weak, there was talk he was actually a squib, the family was apparently desperately trying to find ways to get his magic to show. Our Lysander, however, was strong, he even managed to adjust his baby blankets, Bustle had been highly impressed."

"Neville is strong though," Hadrian said, "it took everyone a while to realise because he had no self confidence but I was glad he had my back at the ministry."

"Hadrian is correct, Rodolphus," Lucius said, "I can attest to the boy's strength myself. The question is what do you want to do now that you think there's a chance he is your son."

"I don't know," admitted Bellatrix, "I feel like I don't deserve him even if he is. If he's happy, what right do I have to suddenly push myself into his life and turn it upside down."

"Shouldn't Neville get the choice. Doesn't he have the right to know the truth. I will say it wasn't the easiest thing, finding out I was actually a Malfoy but I'm glad I know now. If it's true I think Neville needs to know, that way he can decide himself what to do."

"Well said Hadrian." Narcissa beamed with pride at his words and Hadrian had to duck his head to hide his blush.

"But how can we find out?" Rodolphus asked, " we're wanted death eaters, we can't just walk into his house and demand he take an inheritance test."

"Leave that with me, he's my friend, remember. It may take a bit of time but I may be able to work out a way of doing it without alerting anyone."

The adults seemed impressed and were willing to leave it with him for the time being. Bellatrix and Rodolphus stayed for a little longer discussing future plans to try and stop Dumbledore's destruction of their world and way of life. Haddy was surprised when he was not only expected to stay but actively encouraged to give his opinion. He explained that with the order the children were always forbidden from attending meetings saying they were too young to be involved in such things. The Malfoys and Lestranges had shaken their heads in dismay before Lucius had explained.

"Being part of a discussion doesn't necessitate active participation but it's always good to get a variety of opinions, especially as this is something that will involve you too. After all we are talking about the future of the wizarding world and you are a part of that future, it's ridiculous to think you shouldn't have a say."

Draco especially was shocked to hear that Hadrian's opinions hadn't been listened to.

"You were Harry Potter for god's sake, you were supposed to be their savior and yet they didn't let you have a say in how you were going to do it. What were you just supposed to be some weapon or something."

"It certainly felt that way sometimes."

All in all it was a surprisingly pleasant evening and by the end Hadrian found himself bidding goodnight to his aunt Bella and uncle Rodo. He went to bed that night wondering if it was some weird dream.

A letter from the twins the next day filled him with joy. They had arranged to meet up with Hermione that weekend. Hermione had left Grimmauld place claiming her mum was ill but that was just to make it easier to move around. Apparently Mrs Weasley had not liked the idea of her going out on her own, claiming something about death eater activity that Haddy knew was bollocks, so she'd felt it best to go back to her parents. She would meet the twins on Saturday afternoon and Lucius created a port key that would activate at 3pm and transport them to a summer house on the manor grounds. Hadrian was a little apprehensive but he hoped his friends cared enough about him to accept him even if he was now a Malfoy. He didn't even think he'd mind if they stayed with the order but it would be nice to know someone from his old life would still accept him when he went back to school. Worst comes to worst, he thought, I can always ask to get resorted, at least I know the Slytherins will accept me.


	20. Chapter 20

After 5 years of hanging out with Harry Potter, you'd have thought that Hermione Granger would be used to jumping into unknown and potentially dangerous situations but she still felt the cold fingers of dread creeping up her spine as she sat with Fred and George in the back of their shop, waiting for 3 o'clock for a port key to activate and hopefully take them to Harry Potter. Hopefully being the operative word as they had no idea where they were going and who was going to be at the other end. The twins had assured her that it was Hedwig who had delivered the letters and that was reassuring, Hedwig was well known to be extremely protective and barely let her or Ron even pet her. If Hedwig had been in good spirits when she had delivered the letters then it was a sure sign she was safe.

What did worry Hermione was that the order had seemed a little on edge before she had left Grimmauld place. She didn't know what was happening exactly, as usual she had been denied access to the meetings despite having gotten the best O.W.L. results of any witch or wizard for a century, she was still deemed too young. Even after they had proven how capable they were at defending themselves at the ministry. She sighed, her fingers twitching on the port key. The twins looked to be thinking along the same lines as she was as the second hand on the clock ticked to the hour and she felt the familiar tug behind her belly button as the port key activated.

Whatever Hermione had been expecting it had not been to land in the middle of a summer house in some beautiful gardens with Harry Potter sitting anxiously in front of an opulent tea service.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, running over and giving him a hug as soon as she'd found her feet again, "I was so worried I'm glad you're OK."

Letting him go she looked him over closely wanting to make sure he definitely was alright. If anything he looked better than usual, like he did about halfway through the year when she'd been closely monitoring his food intake, instead of like he did most Septembers, half starved. Once she had ascertained he was definitely alright her worry abbated and anger took over.

"How could you do something so stupid, so selfish, so dangerous, as running off on your own when there are death eaters on the loose. Do you have any idea how worried we were, that you'd go and get yourself killed or something."

"I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't mean to worry you but I didn't have much choice. A lot has happened these last few weeks but I'm going to have to get you to swear a wizard's oath before I tell you anything. It's not that I don't trust you but I don't trust others, you'll understand after but I need you to trust me now."

The three of them agreed, the twins performing the spell as the only ones legally allowed to perform magic. Once they'd all sworn not to reveal anything they learned Harry took a deep breath as if to prepare himself.

"I don't know how much you're aware of but Sirius's will was read out last month. I'd been locked in my room at the Dursley's to prevent me from attending but managed to sneak in anyway. I won't say what I overheard but, suffice it to say it was a load of crap, so the goblins got me to perform an inheritance test to prove who I was only it told me a lot more. Not only am I Harry Potter I'm also Hadrian Malfoy."

"What?"

"How's that possible!"

"Harry, what do you mean."

Harry removed his glasses and a necklace and changed from the dark haired boy with green eyes to a blue eyed boy with pale blonde hair that looked extremely similar to Draco Malfoy.

"I had a number of spells on me that the goblins have removed, they allowed me to have the charm for cover and I've been staying with the Malfoys since I defeated Voldemort."

Hermione was confused, "what do you mean defeated Voldemort?"

"Can't you see my scars gone. Lady Aurelia, Lucius's mother, said it was where a part of Tom Riddle's soul was. When I got the Black family ring they think it tried to cleanse the soul piece from me. He found me when I was at the Dursley's we touched and the soul pieces rejoined. I was brought here to recover and Tom Riddle was taken to the elven realm. Apparently his mind was quite damaged so he's been put in a coma while the elves heal him."

"So we're at Malfoy manor," said Fred, "explains why the food is so good."

"Minty's been practicing since we had lunch at the Dorchester."

"The Malfoys had lunch at the Dorchester? I thought they hated all things muggle."

"Papa wishes, they spent a fortune when we went shopping. They were never completely against muggles; it's just that mixing with muggles weakens bloodlines."

"Hearing you refer to Lucius Malfoy as papa is weird Harry, or do you prefer Hadrian now?" George asked.

"I definitely prefer Hadrian Malfoy to Harry Potter, a lot less baggage, but you can call me Haddy for short, Draco always does."

"That's another thing, Haddy, it's weird to think of you as friends with Malfoy, you were always sniping at each other."

"Oh we still do, don't worry, it's just friendly instead of malicious now."

"So this isn't a sign of the Apocalypse?" Fred asked.

"No, but I have realized a lot of what I've been told all these years is bollocks, which in hindsight shouldn't be that surprising really. I mean if death eaters were really trying to eradicate muggles why didn't they ever attack big targets, down a plane, anything really. They did more damage to the wizarding world than the muggle one."

"So what," said Hermione, "the death eaters are all good now, we're just supposed to forgive them for everything they did. Dolohov nearly killed me with that spell."

"No you don't have to forgive them, Dolohov especially. Papa said he's always been extreme and had invented that spell purposely to hurt people. He and aunt Bella are trying to come up with a way for him to get captured again before he can cause more trouble. What you should realise though is that Dumbledore and the order aren't all good, they do a lot of questionable, if not downright horrible things: no one is perfect."

"So why are they fighting the order then?" Hermione asked.

"For the rights of magical creatures. Dumbledore is trying to suppress them which would force people to marry muggles to prevent inbreeding."

"They also discriminate against those who practice the old ways," said George, "Lee's family is pagan but he doesn't openly practice at school for fear of persecution. Apparently 'devil worshipping' makes muggleborns uncomfortable so it's not allowed to be practiced at school."

"That's ridiculous!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What's ridiculous," countered Fred, "is the thought that wizards would celebrate Christian holidays, like Christmas when Christians are the ones that persecuted the magical world."

Hermione was quiet, they were right, it did seem quite far fetched. "But you said Dumbledore was against magical creatures," she said, trying for a different track, "if that's the case why is Remus Lupin such a prominent member."

"We can answer that one," said George, "you see Remus's dad was a prominent anti-creature activist and made a lot of discriminatory comments, especially about werewolves. Fenrir Greyback got annoyed and bit Remus in retaliation. As Fenrir was only 15 at the time his father was punished instead and killed."

"That's barbaric," exclaimed Hermione, "I mean I know it was bad to bite Remus but does that mean his father had to die."

"We thought the same," said Fred, "never agreed with the other's stance on creatures, always thought it would be cool to have other abilities. Anyway old Dumbles doesn't help Remus that much does he, I mean Remus still can't get a steady job or anything and they're always trying to get legislation through the Wizengamot. Only last week we heard mum and dad talking about some new law to try to get 'half breeds' banned from school."

"What! When is that going through?" 'Harry' asked.

"Don't know," said George, "they stopped talking when they saw us. Why do you want to know anyway?"

"Because all the proper paperwork had been filed, and with Sirius being my godfather, I inherited both the Potter and Black lines and have access to the seats on the Wizengamot. Apparently Dumbledore is using them at the moment but I can claim them back at any time. Speaking of inheritance, can you do me a favor and get Neville into Gringotts to take an inheritance test without anyone finding out. The Lestranges think he's their lost son and it's the best way I know to find out for sure."

"We were always told they killed him and covered it up," the twins said.

"Not that it would be the first time something we were told turned out to be utter bollocks."

"Precisely, we can't promise anything but we'll try, he deserves to know the truth either way."

"Thanks guys, I knew I could rely on you. If he is their son can you take him to get a wand, uncle Rodo said Lestranges have strong gorgon blood in them and always have wands with snake parts, he thinks this might be why Neville was forced to use his dad's one instead of getting his own." The twins nodded.

"I'm still having a hard time believing all this," Hermione said.

"I know its a lot to take in, it's been weeks for me but it still feels weird sometimes. I'm just glad you're listening and willing to accept me. I'd been worried I'd be austricised and have to get resorted."

"Don't worry Haddy, Fred and I will still love you even if you end up a slimy snake."

"Speaking of snakes, the Malfoys have invited you to stay for dinner if you want."

Fred and George were never going to turn down good food, especially if it was free, so Hermione Granger found herself having a tour of Malfoy Manor before meeting the family in the dining room for dinner.

It certainly could have been more awkward, the Malfoys were stiffly polite at first but soon Lucius was talking to the twins about business ideas and Narcissa was talking to her about how they could incorporate muggle fashion trends in the wizarding world and the conversation just seemed to flow. Draco surprised her by apologising for the mudblood comments, saying he had been jealous of her friendship with Harry and her academic prowess. Hermione had mainly been upset at the reminder that, as a muggleborn, she was behind in the wizarding world and had to work extra hard to feel like she was an equal and as such had forgiven him when he suggested she come to the manor and practice potions before the start of term, much to Harry, no Haddy's dismay.


	21. Chapter 21

Wednesday 14th August was a very strange day for Neville Longbottom but one he would remember for the rest of his life. Admittedly it had actually started on the Sunday before when he'd received an owl from Hermione asking if they could meet to go over the herbology text before school started. His grandmother hadn't been best impressed but Neville had pointed out Hermione was a muggle so she couldn't easily come to his house and she'd begrudgingly relented. He'd met her at Weasley's wizarding wheezes only to be ushered into Gringotts where he'd been told to take an inheritance test. The goblins had apparently already been aware this would happen so here he was in a side room in the bank, dripping a few drops of blood onto a parchment wondering if this was all suddenly about to make sense. The magic swirled and words formed on the paper.

Name: Neville Longbottom  
Born: Lysander Regulus Lestrange  
Date of Birth: May 14th 1980  
Parents: Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange (née Black)  
Adoptive Parents: Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom (née Brown)

Creature inheritance:  
⅝ gorgon  
¼ fae

Inherited Abilities:  
Nature affinity  
Magic resistance  
Poor eyesight - colour blindness  
Synesthesia

Inheritance:  
Lestrange heir apparent  
Longbottom heir apparent

Warning - blood magic detected:  
Glamour charm  
Obedience charm  
Magic dampener

To say Neville was shocked would be an understatement but for some reason Hermione and the goblin, Linux, weren't surprised.

"We can take you to our healer if you want, Mr Lestrange, and have the blood magic purged. A goblin charm can be provided if you want to maintain your appearance."

Neville just nodded.

"We can go see Haddy, er Harry if you want Neville, he can probably explain things better. We'll go see him after you've seen the healers and got a new wand."

"New wand?"

"Yeah, you'll see."

It was a motley crew that assembled in the drawing room at Malfoy Manor that afternoon: the Malfoys, all four of them, Hermione Granger and the Lestranges including the newly aware Lysander and Rabastan, who'd been overjoyed to hear his nephew was alive and well and had been quickly brought up to speed. Haddy had been waiting in the foyer when Hermione and Lysander, also known as Neville, arrived and had tried to explain everything that had happened.

To Lysander's credit he took it all in stride, carefully stroking his new wand, 10½ inch hawthorn with basilisk venom, as if it were an anchor. He had finally understood why his grandmother, well Augusta Longbottom anyway, had never taken him to get his own wand and insisted on using Frank's. Even Ollivander had said that the Lestrange blood must be strong with him as only they had snake type wands. He'd wanted to talk to his parents but hadn't felt comfortable being on his own with them so here they were, after a quick lunch, sitting around awkwardly and waiting for someone to start talking. Thankfully Rabastan was as subtle as a stampeding herd of hippogriffs.

"You alright Lysander, you look pale as a sheet. Anyone would think you were scared of us."

Lysander took a deep breath and once again proved his Gryffindor roots. "Yeah, I am a bit. Didn't have the best introduction last time we met although I am hoping this one is better."

Rabastan and Rodolphus laughed out loud but Bella wasn't quite so impressed, with them that is.

"Would you two quit it? We're supposed to be making a good impression and here you are winding him up. If you scare him off and lose me this chance to get to know my son, so help me, you will wish you were back in Azkaban by the time I'm through with you."

"It's alright Mrs Lestrange."

"Call me Bellatrix or Bella, please."

"Right, Bellatrix, I've dealt with worse with my family, well the Longbottoms. They were always so sure I was weak they were constantly trying to push me to see if they could get it to react."

"What do you mean pushing you?" Rodolphus asked.

"Well like pushing me down stairs or off pavements, throwing things at me, that sort of thing. Uncle Algie used to like to remind me of when he held me by my feet out the window when I was a baby and he let go to get some lemon meringue. Apparently they'd been quite surprised that I bounced."

"He did what!" screeched three women at once.

"It was alright," said Lysander, cowering under the power of their combined ire, "although uncle Algie did like to tell me if I'd really been strong I'd have floated."

"I can't believe it, those vile individuals, if they weren't already in St. Mungo's I'd be putting them there myself. How dare they do that to my baby, even if weren't showing magic, that's just disgusting behavior."

"It was alright though, Bella, I'm fine," Lysander put his hand on her arm, trying to calm her. It seemed to work as her tirade suddenly stopped and she stared at his hand on her arm. Putting her own hand over his she smiled serenely at him.

"You're right, Lysander, I should be happy you're here. I'm just angry at the idea that I came so close to never knowing you."

Lysander smiled back, giving her arm a slight squeeze, "don't worry, I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon." He sat down next to her, holding her hand, clearly becoming more comfortable around his parents.

"By the way Mr Malfoy, the twins overhead their parents talking about some new law to stop magical creatures having children."

"That conniving sod!" Lucius exclaimed, "the Wizengamot is out for the summer at the moment but I bet he's planning on introducing it as soon as they sit again in September. He always tries to pull stunts like this, putting bills forward at the start and end of sessions or tagging on amendments so we can't fight him on it and he can railroad it through."

"Will it help if I take back my seats?" Hadrian asked.

"Of course son, but to do that you'll have to go public. Are you sure you're ready for that."

"Yes papa, I think I'd like to stay as Hadrian Malfoy now."

"Alright," Lucius said with a smile, "we can go on the day they reopen but it will probably mean you'll have to miss the Hogwarts express."

"That's fine, it can be a shock to everyone when they arrive at the great hall."

"Ok, I can talk to Severus as well then and we can all floo to Hogsmeade when we're done."

"What about the Lestrange seats Mr Malfoy?" Lysander asked.

"I'm afraid because of your parents criminal convictions Dumbledore has control of them as chief warlock."

"Is there any way I can claim them as heir apparent?"

"Yes son," said Rodolphus, "but as with Hadrian you would have to go public with your heritage. Are you sure you want that association?"

"Yes, like Haddy I'm fine with people knowing. I think it's more important to stop this prejudicial law." Lysander glowed at the looks of pride he received at that statement.

"Speaking of prejudice against magical creatures, I was talking to Greyback the other day. There had been a commotion of some sort at the Sayre farm where the colony had been staying, causing a lot of damage. William Sayre got the aurors in to investigate and of course they said it was the werewolves who attacked despite there being no evidence it was anyone from the colony and so kicked the whole lot of them out. I was wondering whether you knew of anywhere else they could go."

"Unfortunately, Rabastan, I don't know what to do. I would offer them Malfoy land but I fear it would bring the aurors round here too much and there are few places we would be able to all meet without putting our friends at risk," said Lucius.

"What about my properties, papa," asked Hadrian, "mama says there's a farm in Gloucestershire. I don't think it's been used for decades so I don't care if they damage it and if it's only the werewolf colony there there should be no need to call the aurors even if someone tries to cause trouble."

"That's a very good idea, Hadrian," Narcissa agreed, "we can go tomorrow to check what state it's in and hopefully move the colony in at the weekend."

"Yes, thank you Hadrian, on behalf of the werewolves, for your kind offer," Rabastan said.

"It's no problem sir. I've never understood why people have such a problem with werewolves. Yes, during the full moon they can be dangerous if they're around people but you can make provisions for that, especially with wolfsbane potion."

"The problem with wolfsbane," Rabastan interrupted, "is that even if you can find someone to make it, the ingredients cost too much and most werewolves struggle to make any money at all."

"Well maybe they can look at growing some of the ingredients themselves or sell anything they don't need. I don't care what is grown there as, as far as I'm aware, it's not being used. And apparently I'm not as bad at potions as I thought so maybe I can get Severus to teach me how to make it."

Draco covered his laugh with a cough, badly, which earned him an inquisitive look from Lucius.

"I didn't do as badly as I thought either, I actually managed to get an A," Lysander said.

"That's good for a Lestrange," joked Bella.

"Ignore your mother she doesn't understand how tricky it is when you only see one shade of green and the recipe tells you to add something when the potion changes to turquoise. My grandfather always told me the trick is to learn to taste the colours, sounds crazy I know but it works."

"Anyway," said Hadrian, "what I was going to say was werewolves are just the same as everyone else; some good, some not so maybe, but they should be treated and judged as individuals, same as everyone else."

The other children nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad to hear you all feel that way," Lucius said, "it gives me a lot of hope for the future."

By the end of the evening Lysander found that he didn't particularly want to go back to being Neville Longbottom; it was nice being surrounded by people who seemed to accept him, and care for him, for who he was. The Lestranges were overjoyed as they'd been worried about sending him back after hearing how the Longbottoms had treated him all his life. Narcissa was the voice of reason this time, pointing out if he didn't go home people would become suspicious of Hermione. It was agreed he would go with a port key to the manor that he could use at any time but it would probably be best to wait a few days before disappearing. It would also give him the chance to pack anything he wanted to take.


	22. Chapter 22

The aptly named Heartstead estate was in the heart of the Cotswolds, prime farming country. Haddy had never been to this part of the country before and found the rolling green and yellow hills he could see in the distance truly breathtaking. The Black family country house consisted of a large former hunting lodge with six further properties fit for accommodation as well as several farm buildings and about 86 acres park, wood and farmland that had, apparently, not been as disused as they had thought it was. In fact the land looked to have been planted that season. Lucius and Narcissa were not best impressed and immediately called in some friends to help investigate. Parkinsons, Flints, Crabbe, Goyles and several others Haddy didn't recognise all descended on what was supposed to be his land in order to thoroughly search the area. A number of goblins, including Linux and Abax were also summoned to perform their own checks.

"Who has had access?" Lucius demanded.

"Our records suggest no one Mr Malfoy although you can rest assured there will be a strict audit of all of Master Hadrian's accounts as well as Master Lysander's. We are also checking the wards as they should have prevented anyone from crossing the threshold and we are awaiting the arrival of one of our top curse breakers to reinforce them. You can be sure that after today only those Master Hadrian chooses will be allowed to enter the property," said Linux.

"That's good to know at least. My son had hoped to set up a werewolf colony on the property so it would be good to know they were protected."

"That is a most noble and generous offer from your son, I am glad to know that the better rumors about him were true. It gives me a lot of hope for all of us magical creatures."

"Quite," agreed Lucius, "he will undoubtedly be a credit to the family and has a number of friends who seem willing to fight for our cause."

"Lucius," Narcissa interrupted, "I've just been checking some of the fields and would like to consult with Severus. There seem to be a vast number of potions ingredients being produced and I'd like to ask if he knows where they might be being used. Although I can recognize them I am unaware of current markets."

Hadrian had felt a little useless, not being able to do any magic and, as such, not feeling like he could help. He had asked to look around the farm house, more like a manor in his opinion and Marcus Flint had been told to accompany him, in case there was anything that they'd missed. Hadrian wasn't sure how he'd be received.

"Alright, er, Malfoy," Marcus nodded his head in greeting.

"Alright Flint."

"Still carrying the Gryffindor team?"

"What are you on about? We have a great team."

"Maybe but you definitely won the cup for them these last few years. Earned Wood a tidy sum that first game you played."

"What? Oliver bet on the game?"

"You don't? Been a bit of a tradition at Hogwarts for decades. Pissed Snape off something rotten that first year when we lost. Though I have to admit you're the reason we got Malfoy, er, Draco to join."

"I always thought his dad had bought his way on the team."

"I'm actually insulted you think I'd compromise my team like that. Don't get me wrong, the brooms were a nice bonus but you played against him, you know he's no slouch."

"That's true, Slytherin were invariably our toughest game and not just because you played dirty."

"Crippling the strongest player is a legitimate tactic and it was easier going after you than Wood."

"Some of those shots seemed pretty vicious to me."

"Well they may have been doing it on my behalf, sorry about that."

"Did I do something to hurt you?"

"Not you yourself it was just Wood, always going on about how great you are, it used to wind me up. I once said that maybe he fancied you with how he kept on all the time and he just seemed to ignore it suggesting that there was something going on between you and Malfoy, er Draco."

"Olivier's gay!"

"I have no idea, he never seemed to date anyone at school. Pretty sure he doesn't like me though, I went to go see him after a Puddlemere United game but he completely blanked me." Flint looked disheartened at that.

Hadrian was curious, "did you fancy Oliver, by any chance."

"That obvious huh. Still do if I'm honest, he's an awesome guy and so hot on a broom. He never looked twice at me though. It's why I would get so pissed off at you. I swear ever since you joined the team it was all Harry this and Harry that, 'Harry so fast and daring, never gets scared', fuck I'm getting wound up just remembering."

"Sorry, I had no idea. But I don't fancy him if that helps."

"Don't tell me you like that Weasley bint, there'll be wedding bells before September if you do."

"God no, definitely not my type. And don't joke about that I learned not that long ago how serious they were about that stuff."

"Oh, got your eye on someone do you. 

"Yeah, not that I think I stand a chance in hell with him."

"Him eh, someone I know." Hadrian looked away, not wanting to let on about too much. "So that's a yes then. I won't push things now then but I doubt you'll be able to keep it secret for long, you don't seem to be that good at lying."

"Apparently not, Draco figured it out before I did."

"Don't tell me, if Malfoy can figure it out then I can, can't let that tosser beat me. Oh, sorry, guess I shouldn't say that as he's your brother now."

"No, don't worry, I agree, he's definitely a tosser." They both laughed.

"Your alright you know Pot, er, Malfoy."

"Call me Hadrian," he said holding out his hand. Flint took it, shaking his hand in friendship.

"Marcus, it's a pleasure. You know it'll be strange having a Malfoy in Gryffindor, sure I can't persuade you to switch to Slytherin, I'm sure Snape would be happy about it."

Hadrian squirmed, "I'm not sure about that, but no, at least not yet. I'm still happy in Gryffindor and it would be nice to win the cup again with them."

"Like your chances this year do you."

"Yeah, I think we've got a good team."

"Had a good team but you've lost a lot of your best players and Weasley is hardly up to Woods standard."

Hadrian paused. "No he isn't, nowhere near if I'm honest."

"Strange to hear you badmouthing your sidekick."

"It was strange to hear him badmouthing me. Been a strange couple of months to be honest."

"Yeah, well, it's only going to get stranger when you go back. To be fair it's going to freak a lot of people out. Slytherins will take it on the chin, we learn at an early age not to judge people by rumors though it's easier said than done. Gryffindors especially, though, tend to take stuff at face value."

"I realized that last year unfortunately. Thankfully not all of us are like that. Hermione and the twins have been great."

"They were always alright in my book though that brother of theirs is a right twat. Never missed a chance to wind Malfoy, er, Draco up."

"Yeah, I realise that now, didn't know at the time or I'd have pulled the twat up on it."

"Well if he gives you any shit let me know, I still have some pull at Hogwarts."

"Thanks Marcus and I'll drop Oliver a message, as Harry of course, find out what the crack is."

"Cheers mate, though I just hope he's got more of a thing for brunettes than blondes because you're not looking bad these days." Hadrian blushed, not sure how to react to a compliment like that. "Don't worry Hadrian, I'm not trying to get in your pants, I'm pretty set on Wood at the moment, just saying this guy would be pretty stupid to turn you down."

"Thanks Marcus."

They had looked around the whole house which consisted of a number of rooms, including nine that were already used as bedrooms and a number of other spaces that could be converted. Hadrian wasn't sure about what the needs of the colony might be but was grateful Marcus was there as he worked as a clerk in the magical creature registration department at the ministry. Apparently this colony comprised 102 werewolves of varying ages and was the main group of them in England which is why they tended to get targeted. According to Marcus there would be plenty of room on the estate for all of them especially if Hadrian let them renovate as required as they were used to much smaller quarters. Marcus said he hoped they'd be able to set up a school as werewolves were usually banned from attending and, as such, often lacked even basic skill. This was a project very close to his heart as his mother had been born a werewolf and the family had faced a lot of prejudice over the years.

After they finished exploring the house they returned to the main garden to find everyone already assembled.

"I'm glad you've finally returned, Hadrian, I have a report to give and would hate to have to repeat myself but my patience was beginning to wear thin."

"Sorry Severus, I didn't realise you were waiting on us or we'd have hurried back."

Severus raised a questioning eyebrow but said no more leaving Hadrian worrying that he'd missed something. "As I was saying, the plants growing in the fields are undoubtedly all potion ingredients, mostly rare due to their dangerous nature. Years ago these ingredients would have been difficult to come by but recently they have been in increasing abundance on the open markets. I, for one, have had a steady stream of them available to me at Hogwarts. The goblins were able to find the brownies that had been forced to work the land. Unfortunately they don't know any names but from the description they gave of the person in charge my assumption is that it's Corban Yaxley."

"Damn it, I knew I couldn't trust that bastard," Lucius roared. Hadrian wasn't sure how this person was related to Dumbledore and thought it might be time to start studying family lines.

There was a sudden crack of apparition.

"Excellent," said Linux, "our curse breaker has arrived."

Hadrian turned to greet the latest arrival and was glad Lucius had managed to persuade the Lestranges to stay away because there in front of him was none other than Bill Weasley.


	23. Chapter 23

"Um, hello Bill," he said without   
.  
"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Oh, erm, no I just know you by reputation."

"Right." Turning to address Linux, Bill asked "so what exactly is required here sir?"

"We need the wards completely dismantling then resetting. Somehow someone has been working Mr Malfoy's land despite the property not having been claimed and, as such, still being under the bank purview. This is obviously unacceptable and as such I expect you to extend him every courtesy. With that said Mr Malfoy wishes to donate the use of this land to the werewolf colony so appropriate movement restricting wards will also be required."

"That is very generous of you Mr Malfoy," Bill addressed Lucius with sarcasm tinting his tone, "though I guess it shouldn't be very surprising for you to be helping the colony as much as possible."

"It is my son's idea, Mr Weasley, not mine."

Bill was just about to question Draco when Linux interrupted, "the general secrecy pacts put in place when you signed your work contract will also apply here which is why I feel safe informing you that Mr Malfoy was referring to his other son, Hadrian."

Linux indicated to the boy that had been the first to speak to him, "ah, my avid fan. A little friendly advice for you: be careful about who you associate with as I wouldn't like to see you get hurt, even if you are a Malfoy."

"Could I ask what you mean by that."

"I don't know you, although you seem to know me, and you may be a Malfoy but you haven't done anything against me or mine so it only feels right to warn you that the werewolves in that colony are nothing but trouble and I wouldn't bother helping they are not above helping the hand that feeds them."

"I would think you of all people would be more sympathetic towards their plight."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean do you think Remus Lupin is dangerous?"

"He nearly killed my brother and his friend when he was working as their teacher so I'd say he was pretty dangerous yes."

"That was hardly his fault. Him and Sirius had been chasing down Peter and he forgot to take his potion. It wouldn't even have been so bad if we weren't trying to break Sirius out of prison and have to fight off hordes of dementors."

"How do you know that? Harry!"

"Yes Bill I'm Harry Potter as well as Hadrian Malfoy, don't worry about having to lie about where I am it'll all come out at the start of term anyway. I found this out, as well as a lot of other stuff, over the summer which has made me question things. I'll let you get on with your work but I'll leave you with this piece of advice: you're going to face a lot of opposition if you're serious about your relationship with Fleur and you should ask if it's all as well meaning as you think."

With that Hadrian turned and headed back to the house, leaving Bill Weasley gobsmacked.

Marcus chased after Hadrian as he headed back to the house. He caught up to him and slung an arm round the shorter boys shoulders.

"Don't worry about that prick, Hadrian, if he's too easily led that's his loss."

"I know,Marcus, weirdly I'm actually worried about him. I'm pretty sure him and Fleur are serious, I mean they've been together over a year after all, but you should have heard the crap Mrs Weasley was spouting at the bank. She's not happy about the relationship and will do everything she can to break it up and I don't want either of them to get hurt."

"I wouldn't worry," said Severus, slinking out of the shadows, "I've known Bill Weasley for many years now and he's got a good moral compass. The fact that he's chosen to date someone of veela blood despite his parents views is a good sign, give it time and he'll see the light so to speak."

"Thanks Severus," said Hadrian, smiling at him, "but please don't sneak up on me like that again you gave me a heart attack."

"My apologies, Hadrian, but I thought it best I make myself scarce for now. The goblins contract may prevent Mr Weasley from divulging your secret but I doubted it would extend to me."

"Good thinking. By the way, papa talked to you about claiming your seats on the Wizengamot. He thinks Dumbledore might be trying to push a law through when they reopen that will prevent magical creatures from having children. I'm going to be claiming mine and I think papa was hoping to persuade you to take yours as well to be able to mount a decent counter on such short notice."

"I will certainly consider it Hadrian."

Marcus felt like he might as well not exist the moment Severus Snape had arrived, not that he minded as he hadn't been lying when he said he was stuck on Oliver Wood, but he was surprised by Hadrian's apparent crush. He realised Hadrian had spent a number of years repressing his sexuality but hadn't thought it would take the form of the famous dungeon bat. Each to their, he thought, and at least he could be sure now Hadrian wouldn't be a rival even if Wood did fancy him. He was also curious about his former head of house's behavior. There had been no obvious reason for Snape to make himself known, in fact it would have been safer for him to leave the premises before the wards were placed to be sure Weasley wouldn't spot him. Instead he decided to come and talk to Hadrian, a child he had apparently hated as Harry Potter, and was now seemingly basking in the attention Hadrian was bestowing on him. Never previously being known for being brave, Marcus Flint decided to test a theory by poking the bear.

Keeping a close eye on the potion master's reaction he used the arm that was still around Hadrian's shoulders to pull the boy into him. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Hadrian. You know it's great that you're trying to do so much for the werewolves. How about I take you for a drink on the first Hogsmeade weekend to celebrate."

"You know we might not be able to block it don't you Marcus."

"Or commiserate then, either way."

Hadrian just shook his head but Snape clearly bristled at the loss of attention, at least clearly if you were watching closely and had known the man for over a decade.

"Well I should be off Hadrian, before Weasley sets the wards." Severus was now speaking to the boy in a much stiffer manner, "don't forget to review your potions text before the start of term. I may not be teaching you in the subject anymore but that doesn't mean I will accept you slacking."

"Yes, sir, and thank you again for getting that book for me."

Severus simply nodded before disappearing back into the shadows. Marcus couldn't help but smile, despite Hadrian now seeming disheartened at Snape's dismissive tone at the end.

"Don't get down, Hadrian, I'd say your chances with him are definitely better than zero."

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"Your crush on professor Snape of course."

Hadrian groaned, "am I that obvious?"

"Only to someone with eyes I dont think most people will realise too soon: between you being a Malfoy and Snape no longer threatening to kill you with every other breath they'll probably faint from shock first."

"So what your saying is it'll be obvious to anyone who's already aware of that stuff like the Slytherins, my parents, oh god, do you think Severus knows, is that why he was being weird at the end there."

"Nah, in fact if it was anyone other than Snape I'd say he was acting jealous."

"What, no way, that's not possible!"

"Yep, now I'm not saying he wants to jump you mind but he definitely liked getting your attention and didn't like it when it switched to me."

Hadrian was thoughtful for a moment then smiled, "I guess that is a good thing."

The two of them started checking out the state of some of the other buildings before Hadrian was called so he could be added to the wards. Bill Weasley was still acting coldly towards him but Hadrian was still too pleased at the idea that Severus liked getting his attention to care. Lucius suggested that only the two of them should have access to the property for now and they would take their time to make sure they could make everything safe for the colony. Hadrian had been what would happen to the colony in the but Lucius assured him he could find a place for them to stay if it was only for a week or two. Haddy considered asking the goblins about getting control of his other properties, even if they were under a fidelius charm, but he didn't want to risk winding Bill up as he was still in ear shot. There was always another day.

It was late in the evening when they could finally return to the manor. Draco demanded a full run down on everything that had happened over dinner and was glad he hadn't been there as he probably would have punched the stupid Weasley's face for upsetting his brother like that. After dinner Hadrian excused himself saying he wanted to write some letters. Marcus had made his day earlier and he wanted to try and return the favor and figured he could always come out to Oliver to see if his new friend had any chance. The worst that could happen was Oliver leaking the letter to the press but, really, he had no issue with people knowing he was gay and it would soon become yesterdays news when everyone learned he was actually a Malfoy.

Oliver's reply came the next day:

'Dear Harry,

I was really surprised to hear from you yesterday but I'm glad you're well. I don't know what prompted you to come out to me, maybe your gaydar is better than you think because I'm also gay. I understand your reluctance to publicly come out as I have the same fears. Although the wizarding world in general is accepting of all different kinds of relationships there are a number who are vehemently against: a lot of muggleborn but a number of pure bloods as well. Just know that you are not alone.

As to letting your crush know I'm afraid I can't help you there. I had a crush on someone for half my time at Hogwarts and never managed to find enough Gryffindor courage to tell him even when I thought I wouldn't see him again. He was also a Slytherin, maybe there's about taming the bad boys, I don't know, but I do agree that puts extra pressure on, especially for us Gryffindors. I know you didn't want to tell me who but is it Malfoy? He's a good looking guy although personally I prefer them dark and built. You two were always at each other's throats I used to joke with my crush that there might be something more there, trying to hint you know, but it didn't seem to work. Or else he wasn't interested. Anyway if it is Malfoy I'm sure I heard a rumor he might be gay, or at least bi, even though he's apparently with Pansy Parkinson so you might have a chance.

Anyway best of luck, let me know if everything works out but even if it doesn't it was nice to hear from you again.  
I've sent along a couple of tickets to a charity game Puddlemere is playing before the start of the new season, maybe you can invite your crush.

Look forward to seeing you there,

Your friend,

Oliver Wood.'

Hadrian was overjoyed for his friends and now only had to figure out a way to get them together.


	24. Chapter 24

Haddy decided to ask for help the next day. Hermione was coming round to practice potions, very glad she was now staying with her parents instead of the Weasleys as Lucius had connected their floos and she could pop round whenever she wanted. The Malfoy library alone was enough of an incentive for her but actually having someone willing to study with her made it worth it, as was the use of the potions lab for practice. Apparently this was one of the reasons why purebloods tended to do better at potions than muggleborns. Haddy was already thinking he'd regret suggesting they form a study group as, although it would be nice for Hermione and Draco to get to know each other, dodging Hermione had been hard enough but if she teamed with Draco it would be impossible.

The three of them had gathered in the potions lab after breakfast; three cauldrons had been set up ready for them along with a well stocked store cupboard and Haddy didn't know whether to be excited or daunted by the sight. He decided it would be best to ask for advice before the two bookworms got into full study mode. He explained the situation, as he knew it and was surprised, when he'd finished, that Draco burst out laughing.

"Two people who fancy each other being too scared to tell each other and so not realizing, hmm, why does that sound so familiar?"

"Are you by any chance suggesting Severus fancies me?"

"I'm surprised you realized, I mean you may not need glasses anymore but you can still be pretty dense."

"Oi you git!" Haddy yelled, giving him a slap round the back of the head for good measure.

"Hang on, are you suggesting professor Snape fancies Haddy?"

"Stop being such a muggle Hermione," Draco grouced, "it's not like we can't determine if someone's intentions are pure or not with a bit of veritaserum. Why should the fact that two people met in school as opposed to in a pub matter if they're in love."

"That's actually really romantic Draco."

"Are you really surprised I can be romantic, I'm not some pleb you know."

"I'm just happy you glossed over me fancying professor Snape," said Haddy.

"Oh no, I can definitely understand that. That silky voice that dark, penetrating stare, did you never wonder why I tried so hard in potions."

"I know, I can't believe it took me so long to realise thanks to the Dursley's homophobia but that voice definitely and those fingers."

"Will you two quit it that is my godfather you're talking about, I don't want to hear it, but fair play Hermione, uncle Sev is definitely a step up from the weasel."

"What? No! I never fancied Ron, he was far too self involved."

"At least I know you're not going to get a crush on Draco then." The Gryffindors laughed.

"Oi, you, stop ganging up on me and are we going to study potions or not."

"I was hoping you'd help me with my Oliver and Marcus problem, remember."

"That's easy you idiot, write to Marcus and tell him you got tickets but can't go because of the Haddy thing. I can go with him and you can always write to Oliver as well letting him know. I mean really brother if you can't figure that out what use are you?"

"I guess it is easy when you put it like that. Hey, what's that look for, planning isn't my strong point?"

"I'm starting to wonder what is?"

"Defense against the dark arts."

"Touché."

"Potions boys! Now that we've sorted out other peoples relationship problems can we please get back to studying."

"Yes, yes Hermione, keep your hair on." Hadrian opened his book and was shocked to see annotations covering the pages. He was so engrossed in trying to read them that Hermione had to shake him to bring him back to reality.

"What's the matter, Haddy, you were lost in your own world," Hermione asked.

"Sorry there's a lot of annotation on this book, it's hard to read but I was trying to figure out what it meant." His companions instantly came round to see what Haddy was talking about. Together they began slowly turning the pages, trying to decipher each of the notes. Eventually they got to the back and saw the signature.

"That sneaky bastard! I bet you those recipes he altered work better as well." The other two simply looked questioningly at Draco. "Oh, come on! The half-blood prince, know any members of the Prince family that happen to be half-bloods?"

"Oh," said Haddy, smiling and suddenly feeling very protective towards his book, "I thought the handwriting looked a little familiar. I wonder why he gave me his own copy."

"Yes, Haddy what possible reason could Severus Snape have for giving you an unfair advantage in potions," said Draco sarcastically, causing Haddy to duck his head to hide his blush.

"Seriously though," said Hermione, "do you think those recipes are going to come up better?"

"Its uncle Sev so I would bet money on it although we can always test them."

"That sounds like a good plan, Draco, and we can get Haddy to use professor Snape's version as he's the worst of us."

"Hey!"

"Don't moan, you know it's true. You did only get an E after all." 

Haddy continued to grumble and mutter under his breath as they began from the first recipe, working slowly to make sure the instructions were precisely followed and so they only made it to the third recipe by lunchtime but so far Haddy had produced the best potions every single time.

"Right, Haddy, you're letting me borrow that book," demanded Draco over the dining room table.

"What, no! Severus gave it to me. If he wanted you to have it he'd have given it to you."

"But don't you think it's a bit of an unfair advantage for you," argued Hermione.

"Children, what are you bickering about?" asked Narcissa, who had decided to join them for lunch.

"Uncle Sev gave Haddy his old copy of Advanced Potions and we think it's unfair if he's the only one who has access to the improvements."

"Why don't you just copy the notes into your own copy of the text, then you all have access to the information."

"Excellent idea, mama," Draco exclaimed, even Hermione reluctantly agreed prompting Draco to joke that maybe she wasn't as much of a goody-two-shoes as he'd thought. Hermione simply smiled enigmatically. Haddy decided he'd copy the text as well, not wanting to damage Snape's book which meant that Narcissa Malfoy was forced to order four extra potions texts so they each had a blank, just in case.

So the non-golden trio spent the next couple of days transcribing notes. It wasn't the most interesting way Haddy could think to spend his time but he would admit that the information seemed to sink in better. They noticed what appeared to be some spells written amongst the potions notes. Draco informed them professor Snape was well known for his ability to create spells. They decided to copy these down separately and ask about them at a later date as they had little to no explanation attached.

That weekend was the Puddlemere United charity match that Draco was to attend with Marcus Flint. Draco knew Wood had received Haddy's letter, letting him know who would be using the tickets, he was still a bit apprehensive. Flint and Wood had always been pretty explosive together, although that could be said for him and Haddy as well, but he didn't want to get caught in the crossfire if this all went wrong. Not that he was going to turn down the chance to watch a professional quidditch match; he always said he appreciated beauty in all its forms and was always happy to watch a bunch a fit people fly gracefully through the air

Flint seemed fairly on edge as well, near constantly fixing his hair or smoothing out his robes.

"Leave off Flint, if you keep that up they will get wrinkled."

"Sorry your majesty but some of us have quite a bit on the line here."

"I'm not denying that Flint but the way I see it, Wood knows you're here and at least has a vague idea why you're here, so if he's interested he'll come if not he won't. Either way you'll know once and for all. Wrinkling your robes, however, will not increase the odds of Wood showing up but will likely hinder them should he get here."

"Ok, I get that, but do you have to sound like such a bloody ponce when you say it."

"Yes, yes I do. Although you do realise the irony in what you said given that you're gay and I'm bit?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"Good, glad to see your intelligence has improved since your Hogwarts days. Now sit back and cheer for your man, the teams just coming on."

"He's not my man yet," Marcus mumble, and if he cheered extra loud when Oliver came on the pitch it had nothing to do with Draco Malfoy.

For a charity match it was a pretty intense game. Obviously no one wanted to take too many risks just before the season but they still pushed each other and frequently had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Oliver Wood was in top form, the opposing team made numerous efforts but he only let in two: one because he had to dodge out of the way of a bludger and another because the seeker flew in front of him, momentarily blocking his view. Draco hadn't been sure if it was accidental or deliberate but it was something he'd keep in mind for when they got back to school. Not that the Slytherin chasers needed any help against Ron Weasley.

When the final whistle blew the score was Appleby Arrows 20 - Puddlemere United 190 and Draco had had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. Unfortunately now came the truly nail biting part as they had to wait to see if Wood would see them. Haddy had laid the groundwork in his letter but had said Wood was worried about the sort of reception he would get if he came out. Draco could understand, especially for a young player with views on the national team; as bad as the English wizarding world might be it had nothing on some other communities in the world. They held back a bit from the crowds of screaming fans, Wood as popular now as he had been at school, but despite that he was never rumored to be dating anyone, even through Hogwarts, so Draco had some hope Haddy had been right.

They seemed to be standing there for ages; Draco had long since given up on trying to start a conversation with Flint as all he received back were grunts. The man was far too nervous and would not stop fidgeting which was driving Draco spare. 

When Wood finally emerged from the changing room, freshly showered, with some nice robes over muggle jeans Draco couldn't cover his sigh of relief. Haddy had suggested they go for a drink in the muggle world as it was unlikely anyone from the prophet would be around to take pictures and had Hermione look up a bar in somewhere called SoHo. Draco had no idea but Haddy had assured him that even though it was a muggle bar no one would mind two guys having a drink together. Marcus was also wearing some muggle clothes under his robes that Draco had taken him to get and probably wasn't helping his nerves.

"Hello Malfoy, Flint," Wood greeted stiffly, "glad you could make it. I hope you enjoyed the game."

His eyes were on Flint, awaiting a reply, and Draco had to kick the moron to shake him out of his nerve induced stupor.

"Er, yeah, it was good."

Draco rolled his eyes. "What my verbally challenged friend is trying to say is you put on a very impressive performance, isn't that right Flint?"

"Erm, yeah, you were great as always. Better even. Almost felt sorry for the other team."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't my best performance, I'm kicking myself for moving so far out the way to dodge that bludger but the coach said we weren't to take any chances."

"Too right you shouldn't," said Flint, "can't have one of their best players out before the season even starts."

"I don't know about best players," said Wood, blushing and smiling coyly at the compliment.

"Course you are. You know as well as I do the keeper is as important as the seeker in the game. 150 points is a lot but not impossible for a good team of chasers to score if the guy between the sticks isn't up to it."

Draco smiled thinking of how Gryffindor learned that the hard way with Weasley as keeper. "Anyway gents, as much as I'd love to stay here and chat tactics with you I have no intention of being a third wheel." Flint and Wood looked at each other shyly and smiled. "Thank you for just proving my point. Now do you both remember the apparition coordinates Had, Harry found for you," they both nodded. "Good, now I will bid you farewell. Wood it was good to see you again, thank you for the tickets. Flint, don't fuck it up." With that he made his way to the floor hoping Haddy's hard work paid off and they both had a good night. God, Granger was right, he was a romantic at heart.


	25. Chapter 25

When Lady Aurelia Malfoy walked into breakfast and announced Tom Riddle was waiting in the Drawing Room for the Hadrian seemed to be the only one who was even mildly surprised. Even Severus seemed aware of the inevitability of this as all Lucius had to say in the floo was Tom's here and he was stepping through as if this had all been planned and he'd just been waiting patiently on the other side. Hadrian wasn't sure if it was more shock or nerves that was addling his brain at the moment but he was more than happy to let his father and Severus shuffle him between them as they made their way to the meeting.

Tom Riddle was stood looking over the gardens when they arrived and Haddy had to admit he cut an impressive figure; his dark hair peppered with grey was smoothed back behind his ears, his classically handsome features highlighted in the morning sun, with a posture that spoke of strength and confidence Haddy could definitely see why people would follow him, even if he did start spouting some fanatical nonsense.

"Good morning, my Lord, you honor us with your presence," Lucius said, dropping into a graceful bow.

"Come now, Lucius, there is no need for that now. Although I really must apologize to you all for everything I put you through. Words cannot express."

"That's enough Tom, we know it wasn't really you and we are simply overjoyed that you have come back to us. Come let us sit, I'm sure you're here for a reason."

The party made their way to the sofas and Haddy once again found himself maneuvered so he was sat between his father and Severus, opposite Tom.

"So, I'm assuming you want to know how it all started," Tom began, "but I'm not entirely sure myself. I know Dumbledore cast imperious on me when I went for the interview for the defense against the dark arts position, I remember trying to fight it, especially when Regulus was worried, he told me to go to my father's house that evening but then things get fuzzy."

"I would imagine," Lady Aurelia continued, "that he induced you to murder your relatives and used that to create the first horcruxes. Albus Dumbledore must be particularly good with memory charms as it has been impossible for us to fully recover all of them."

"Yes, those places are still very hazy although everything else is clear thanks to the amazing work of Lady Aurelia and her people. Unfortunately it means I am aware of all of the terrible things I've done although I wasn't in full control of my faculties at the time. It was like a voice in my head guiding my actions, not that that's any excuse. I'm not surprised Reggie was so suspicious of my behavior, I'm just saddened that his efforts to help me cost him his life."

"Do you know what happened to my dear cousin, Tom?"

"Not exactly I'm afraid Narcissa. I know he'd become aware of the horcruxes after some intensive reading in the Black family library and he found the Slytherin locket. He was under the impression, however, that there was only one and was greatly distressed that I wasn't better when he cleansed it. He went off to see if he could find out what went wrong and I never saw him again." An aura of sadness surrounded Tom Riddle at this thought and Narcissa reached for his hand in an offer of comfort.

"He was well loved my friend, by everyone but especially you. Even in your darkest days you could never bring yourself to hurt him and I think his loss only accelerated your descent into madness."

"Thank you for your understanding Narcissa, I know he always treasured you and Bella, but it is one of the many regrets I have, that I made his life even harder at the end when he should have been finally enjoying life with that bastard brother of his out of his life." Tom sighed and looked to both Severus and Lucius. "My friends, I am deeply sorry for the pain I have caused you over the years. You have both lived in fear far too long but you can rest assured that time has now passed. I hope to be able to make amends to you both."

"Tom," said Severus, "I have lived in fear my entire life and it will unfortunately not stop now with Albus Dumbledore still at large. Suffice it to say you have no reason to apologize to me."

"Likewise," Lucius agreed, "it was no real hardship and I was able to mitigate a lot of your more extreme ideas so the damage has not been too great."

"I cannot thank you enough, Lucius, for that. Although I'm still impressed you managed to persuade me, in that state especially, that it was better to attack small villages instead of large cities, the harm the death eaters caused could have been a lot worse, though every death is a tragedy."

Lucius glowed at the praise. "Can I assume then, my friend, that the death eaters will be disbanded?"

"Quite Lucius, I would be glad if you could help me arrange a meeting although I fear we may have to watch a few of them after. How is your sister fairing after the battle, Narcissa?"

"She is very well Tom, she has been receiving help but better than that they found Lysander, he had grown up as the Longbottoms child, they were reunited the other day and I know they have been exchanging letters. Lysander is hoping to leave the Longbottom house soon, he is just waiting for a time that won't cast suspensions on his friends."

"That is excellent news. I am glad the Lestranges have been as lucky as you." Tom turned to face Hadrian. "Speaking of lost children, I believe I owe you, Hadrian Malfoy, my greatest apologies and biggest thanks. It is because of me that you had to endure such a fraught childhood, with pressures that no adult should even have to face. It is also thanks to your bravery that I am here today. There are few people who would have faced me down as the feared Lord Voldemort and yet, at merely 16, you stood toe to toe with me. If you had not done that I may never have recovered so if there is ever anything I can do for you, you need only ask."

"Thank you, sir, but you have no reason to feel indebted to me, it was purely an accident."

"So humble, if it wasn't for your looks I would never believe you were a Malfoy."

"I'll take that as a compliment sir," joked Harry, causing the other Malfoys to shout in objection.

"Such a quick wit as well, you are definitely a credit to your family, your uncle Regulus would have loved you, although I fear he would have been a bad influence. You may not realise it but Reggie and Severus here were as bad as the marauders during their school days, although they were better at not getting caught."

"Really, well that's alright, I have the Weasley twins for help as far as pranking is concerned."

"Malfoys and Weasleys as friends!" Tom exclaimed, "is the world coming to an end?"

"Don't worry Tom, as strange as it sounds the twins are good people and have been very supportive of Hadrian since he found out about his heritage," Lucius explained.

"Yes," agreed Severus, "the devil twins are definitely unlike the rest of their family."

"Devil twins! That is excellent. I would very much like to meet them one day if they've earned such a moniker from you."

"Oh it's well deserved sir," said Harry, "they managed to create a swamp in the middle of Hogwarts last year."

"A swamp! That is ingenious, I wish I could have seen Dumbledore's face when they did it, he always hated any damage being done to his precious school."

"Thankfully for them they left which negated the headmaster's ability to punish them," Severus interrupted, "which hopefully annoyed the old coot no end as it took forever to clean up." He shifted slightly in his chair as if to get more comfortable and wound up brushing his leg against Hadrian's.

"Regardless, I'm glad you have good friends, Hadrian, that can make all the difference in life. And Severus, fear not I have no designs on your mate so you have no need to get jealous. You know you can be surprisingly unsubtle at times."

"Mate! Severus has a mate?" Hadrian asked.

"It's nothing," Severus insisted.

"It's not nothing my friend, it's important," Tom said. "You see Hadrian, Severus is half vampire and as such will feed off his mate's blood once they've bonded. Obviously any blood will suffice until a mate is found, though it's but a poor substitute and only a mate's will do after. I would have thought Severus would have explained that to you already."

Hadrian was in shock. "You're saying I'm Severus's mate!" He looked around at the others in the room expecting them to be as surprised as he was but they weren't. "Did you all know?"

"Severus, you hadn't told him!"

"Of course I hadn't told him yet Tom, he's only 16. That is far too much responsibility to put on him at such a young age."

"And you didn't think I have the right to a say in this," demanded Hadrian. "I am fed up with people thinking they know what's best for me and making decisions without consulting me."

"Of course I would explain, eventually Hadrian, but you haven't even finished school yet. I've known you for five years now, I know if I told you about it you would feel obliged to bond with me when you could have your own life."

"If you apparently know me so well Severus then you should know how I feel about people making decisions for me, dictating my life. I think you've spent too much time around the headmaster."

Everyone looked shocked at that and Hadrian wondered if he'd stepped over some invisible line.

"My apologies, Hadrian, again. I wasn't aware you didn't know."

"No need to apologize, sir, I'm glad I've found out. Now I can actually make informed decisions with my life," Severus bristled at Hadrian's accusatory tone, "contrary to some people's beliefs, I don't run into every decision head first."

"Well if that is all, Tom, I will bid everyone farewell," Severus said, getting up, "unfortunately I have an entire new subject to work out lesson plans for. Good day."

"Hadrian," Narcissa ventured, once Severus had left the room, "Severus was truly only doing what he thought was best. You've had so much responsibility thrust on you all your life, he wanted you to freely enjoy the rest of your school years as a regular teenager and as your mother I can't find fault with that."

"I know mama but has anyone stopped to think I might actually want to be with him? Is that really so strange?"

"Not strange, Hadrian," Tom said, "but not entirely common and as such there would be questions asked, even if you are his mate. There were over 20 years between myself and Regulus and there were many who suggested I was pressuring or coercing him. It wasn't ideal but Severus was always defending us to everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if that was partly dictating his actions. Please don't judge my friend too harshly."

"You also have to remember, Haddy, that Severus doesn't know you fancy the pants off of him."

Hadrian blushed bright red at his brother's comment. "Yeah, well, I don't think it'll make any difference."

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you Hadrian," Tom said, "my friend may be an honourable man but he is still a man and you are his mate. If you truly want him and pursue him he will not be able to turn you down."

"But I don't want him to feel forced to be with me," Hadrian reasoned.

"And now you understand where Severus was coming from," Lucius pointed out.

"I wouldn't worry too much, Hadrian, you are a handsome, intelligent and charming young man. Severus would be lucky to be with you and he knows it."

"Thank you, sir."

"Look Haddy, Blaise is holding the annual end of summer bash this weekend. How about going and see what being young, free and single is like. If you don't have fun then you can tell Severus you're serious about him and if you do enjoy it then you know Severus will be waiting for you afterwards, if you still want."

"Draco is right," Lucius said, "and don't feel guilty about it, remember Severus has already enjoyed his youth and won't begrudge you having fun as well."


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am aware that people in other countries read this so for the purposes of these next chapters especially I feel I should explain that the age of consent in the UK is actually 16, for all orientations. It is also government policy not to prosecute anyone if both parties involved are underage. As such it is not uncommon for children to loose their virginity at 14, sometimes even younger.
> 
> There is an addition to this law that states its an offence for a person in a position of trust who is over 18 to have sex with someone under the age of 18 but for the purposes of this story this part doesn't exist in the magical world.
> 
> Warning: There will be references to underage sex, as far as a lot of countries are concerned, in these next few chapters but nothing explicit.

Lysander had port-keyed to the manor on Wednesday so he could attend the party without arousing too much suspicion. Hermione had received a brief letter from Ron asking if she had seen him but she said she hadn't seen him since they met up to go over herbology. It wasn't technically a lie as she hadn't seen him but did know where he was, thankfully that wasn't what Ron had asked. Narcissa and Draco had taken Bella and Lysander shopping much to Hadrian's delight although he still managed to pick up a load of new clothes and accessories, Haddy was impressed that Draco remembered his size so well. Draco insisted on styling his brother and cousin for the party and Haddy was apprehensive, knowing Draco's tendency towards more flamboyant styles. He had offered to style Hermione as well but she'd gotten out of it claiming a long standing arrangement with a cousin. Surprisingly Draco had opted for a darker style for Harry; black leather trousers that fit him like a second skin and a dark red slim fit shirt. His shoulder length blonde hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, secured with a leather thong, and a heavily buckled belt and pair of boots finished off the look and Haddy didn't think he looked too bad. Even Lysander looked dapper in a dark wash pair of jeans, navy waistcoat and grey striped shirt. Draco had even insisted on putting a loosely tied tie which he claimed finished off the look. The main problem with Draco styling them was it was now 7:30, the party started at 8 and Draco had only just started on his hair.

"Draco, you do know we arranged to meet Hermione at Blaise's at 8."

"Why? That's when the party starts."

"Precisely."

"Haddy, no one turns up when the party starts which means that we don't need to get there until 9 so I have plenty of time."

"What about Hermione?"

"Just fire call her and tell her there's been a change of plans."

"I don't feel comfortable turning up an hour late."

"Me neither," Lysander agreed, "why don't Haddy and I go at 8 to meet Hermione and you come by when you're ready."

"Fine if you must although I doubt Blaise will appreciate it."

"So long as you're sure we've been invited and he's expecting us," said Haddy.

"Yes brother dear, it is quite a turn up for the books that we have Gryffindors coming, trust me it's already done the rounds on the rumor mill, so Blaise will be more upset if you don't show up."

So it was that at 8pm Hadrian and Lysander came through the floo to Kettering Hall, one of the Zambini's numerous properties, where Blaise was holding the party. Hadrian had stumbled out of the large ornate fireplace as usual, he always hated floor travel, it left him feeling so disorientated. Happily it was only him and Lysander in the room to see his misstep.

"Is there some kind of knack to flooding?" Hadrian asked, "I'm a bit worried, now I'm a Malfoy and all, about showing the family up."

"I don't know, I think it's just practice. You have to remember wizards floo most places before they can apparate, visiting family and friends and all that, couldn't begin to count the number of times I've used it."

"Maybe I just need to make some short journeys, that might help, where no one can see if I fall flat on my arse."

Haddy moved out of the way of the fireplace just in time as it once again flared green and Hermione came through looking very unlike how Haddy had ever seen her before. With her hair in smooth curls and bright red lips to complement her leather jacket and figure hugging red dress even Haddy had to admit she looked good.

"Oh good, you're already here," she said, pulling a pair of black, very high heeled shoes out of her bag, "don't mind me, I didn't trust the floo in these." She put them on and was suddenly eye level with the two boys."Glad to see that Draco wasn't lying about putting you boys in muggle clothes. I was a bit worried about what sort of party this was and didn't want to stick out more than I already would."

"Think you're going to stick out fairly well enough," Hadrian commented as she undid her jacket.

"Haddy's right," said Pansy Parkinson, entering the room, gesturing to Hermione's chest, "where have you been hiding those bad boys?"

"Under my robes, hello Parkinson, you look nice."

"Yes though I have a feeling you'll be drawing all the attention tonight. You know what, stick with me and we'll be fighting people off with sticks. Although you do know you can get robes that'll show off your figure more, right?"

"Yes, but I always ended up shopping with the Weasleys and they're weirdly conservative."

"That'll be the Prewitt influence," Pansy said, "they've always been against stuff like premarital sex, don't know why."

"Tell me about it, Mrs Weasley always made such a point of separating the girls and boys, even when they were of age" Hadrian said. "Hello, by the way Pansy, good to see you again, although I thought this was Blaise's party."

"It is. He was still getting ready when the floo alert went off so he sent me to investigate. We weren't expecting anyone for a good hour by the way, I'm surprised Draco didn't tell you."

"He did, I just didn't feel like spending an hour watching him faff around with his hair for an hour. This is Lysander Lestrange, by the way, although you used to know him as Neville Longbottom."

"Lysander Lestrange, this is a turn up for the books," she looked Lysander up and down, "looking good Mr Lestrange, apparently the dark side agrees with you."

"I couldn't agree more," said Blaise, entering the room, "lovely to meet you Mr Lestrange I'm glad to have you here, Draco did say he would be bringing a surprise guest. Glad to see you again Haddy. Granger, think you could take an eye out with those things."

"Thank you for inviting us, Zambini, I've brought some party favors but I didn't know what kind of gathering this was so I'll let you decide."

"Party favors?" Blaise queried.

"Yes well my parents thought it would be nice to bake some pot brownies, they always prefer me doing weed to drinking."

"Oh my God, Hermione, your parents let you smoke weed!"

"Yeah, by the way I told them you had a farm and they asked if you would mind if they grew some plants there as the neighbors are starting to get suspicious about the number of tomato plants they're growing in the greenhouse."

"Um, sure I guess. I don't think the wizarding world even knows about marijuana."

"Excuse me guys, but what are you talking about?" Lysander asked.

"Oh, these," said Hermione, pulling a bag of chocolate cakes out of her bag, "they are a sort of gooey chocolate cake but they have a muggle drug in them, kind of like a calming potion. They're great to have if you're having a chilled out get together."

"Nice one Granger," said Pansy, "will have to give them a try later, did you say you had something else."

"Yeah, got some alcohol, obviously, my uncle brought this back from his trip to Poland. It's 95% so not meant to be drunk neat but will only need a bit to add to a punch or something."

"Muggles add alcohol to their punch?" Blaise asked.

"Yeah, they have loads of different types so often mix them together to make different drinks they call cocktails. My cousin works in a bar and likes to use me as her Guinea Pig when she's practicing recipes."

"I'll leave you in charge of that then, Granger, just tell Holder, our house elf, what you need."

"I'm still not sure how I feel about using house elves, I know Haddy explained that they choose which households to work in and aren't bought or forced like slaves but it still feels strange to me."

"Then tell me what you need and I'll sort it," suggested Pansy.

"Sure, I guess that'll be OK. My cousin also got me some pills if it's more of an upbeat gathering."

"Jesus, Hermione, when did you start taking pills?"

"When my cousin started taking me to raves last year. No one really drinks at those things."

"What are pills?"

"Ecstasy, also known as MDMA or Molly, it makes you feel happy, affectionate and generally buzzed, upgoing That's why it's classed as a party drug. Each pill takes about half an hour to kick in and will last a couple of hours after. I wouldn't advise mixing the pills and the brownies though."

"Hermione I feel like I don't know you!" Hadrian exclaimed.

"Look Haddy, did you seriously think I just read books while I was on holiday. I did have friends before I went to Hogwarts you know. I just don't normally say anything because Mrs Weasley was always so conservative. I mean she didn't even let Bill and Fleur share a room even though they'd been dating a year, what do you think she'd do if she found out I wasn't a virgin."

"Good for you Granger, if muggle potions do as much for a person as muggle fashion," Blaise said making a point of checking them all out, "then I think I'm going to be very glad you came."

Blaise suggested offering the pills as people arrived and putting the punch and brownies out when everyone was coming down. Haddy wasn't sure about taking drugs, having heard all the talk from the Dursley's about how dangerous they were. Blaise and Pansy told him he was chicken as they couldn't see how it was much different to taking potions but Hermione explained that muggle drugs sometimes had side effects and no one should be pressured into doing anything they didn't want to.

Draco arrived at 9 and the party was already in full swing. He wasn't really surprised to see the Gryffindors were the center of attention, they were a rare delicacy and were looking particularly good tonight, but there seemed to be a bit of a different atmosphere than usual. It, thankfully didn't take him long to find out the cause.

"Granger, you dark horse, bribing people to be your friend, I'm impressed."

"I didn't bribe them to be my friends, Malfoy, it's just a cultural exchange."

"Is that what we're calling it. Never mind, give over, you're looking very good by the way, never knew you were keeping a body like that under your robes." Hermione blushed but handed over a pill. "Thank you, has everyone had one?"

"No," said Haddy, "I didn't and neither did a few others."

"Fair enough, where's Lysander?"

"Blaise hijacked him," said Pansy, "think he's taken a bit of a shine to him. Hasn't been able to keep his hands to himself all night but not sure how Lysander feels."

"I don't know if Lysander's into guys, I mean I guess he could be, I've never really seen him interested in anyone, how about you Haddy?"

"He never joined in with the other guys when they were talking but I don't know if he's just really shy. The Longbottoms did a real number on his self confidence."

"Maybe we can play spin the bottle then, that'll let everyone know."

"Isn't that the game where you kiss people?"

"Can you explain for non muggle speaking people," Draco said.

"It's quite simple," Hermione explained, "everyone sits around in a circle and you take it in turns to spin the bottle in the middle and you have to kiss whoever it lands on. Its all a bit of fun so it's up to you if you just give someone a peck or a full on snog."

"Oh that sounds like fun," exclaimed Pansy, "let's do that."

"Yes," Draco agreed, "Lysander isn't the only one who needs a bit of experience is he Haddy?"


	27. Chapter 27

All the soon to be sixth years joined in, the three Gryffindors as well as all the Slytherins, and a few girls Haddy had never met before that attended Beauxbaton during the term. Haddy was worried about playing due to his lack of experience and decided to say so when Pansy's spin landed on him.

"Don't worry, Haddy dear, I'll go easy on you."

She crawled across the circle and gently cupped his face. Drawing in slowly she pressed her lips against his. Pansy moved her lips gently over his, darting her tongue out to trace the seam between. It didn't feel terrible, or even as bad as Cho's, but it definitely wasn't anything like his friends talked about. Pansy pulled back after a few moments.

"Please tell me your gay, Haddy, because I know I'm not a bad kisser."

"No, it was OK, nice even, but yeah I'm pretty sure I'm gay, yeah."

"Thank god, I thought I was losing my touch. Can't believe that ginger bitch was right about something though."

"Not intentionally. I only realized I was gay this summer so I'm sure she was just trying to shit stir."

"Ron's not going to like that," Lysander said, "he always said men being with men wasn't natural though I've never had a problem with that."

"Good to know," muttered Blaise under his breath.

"He's an idiot," Hermione said, "he said that things come out the anus, they're not supposed to go in. I tried pointing out that things come out a vagina as well, namely babies, but he just ignored me and said it wasn't natural. Even when I told hicount the animals that had been seen to exhibit homosexual behavior all he could say was that they weren't magical so didn't count."

"Oh, joys, something else for him to hate me for."

The game continued and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves even if they only gave small pecks, thank you Draco and Hermione. Daphne Greengrass tried snogging him, 'just to make sure' she had said. He ended up snogging Blaise and Theodore Nott as well which confirmed to him he definitely was gay as it felt a lot nicer kissing the guys. He'd even kissed back with Blaise, much to the other boy's surprise and prompting him to compliment Haddy's ability; apparently he had very good instincts. The game continued for a number of rounds, until Blaise landed on Lysander and everyone got bored of watching them play tonsil hockey.

The punch and brownies were brought out and Haddy decided to partake, he'd never had the same fear of weed as he had other drugs, possibly because he knew Dudley took it and was always less of a dick when he was high. He was also tired of feeling left out: Blaise and Lysander were continuing their makeout session on a sofa, they were now lying down and rubbing up against each other. Theodore and Tracey Davis had been on a chair earlier, he could still see Theodore, his head resting against the back of the chair, but he couldn't see Tracey anymore. Even Hermionie and Draco were having a snogging session, with each other surprisingly, at least he hoped it was just a snogging session, he didn't want to look too closely just in case. He found Pansy lounging on some floor pillows and decided to join her.

"Hello Haddy, feeling left out?"

"Not as such, it's been an interesting experience as I've never actually made out with anyone before tonight but there's kind of someone I like so I don't mind not having some random encounter."

"You're saving yourself for Professor Snape, that's quite sweet actually."

"What! What makes you say that?"

"Oh that was obvious with the way you were all over him when he came to give you that book."

"Yeah well there's a bit more to it than that."

"What, like how he's your teacher? Loads of people have crushes on teachers, just remember Lockwood."

"I'd rather not thanks, never understood the draw of him to be honest. No, um, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say but professor Snape is half vampire and apparently I'm his mate."

"Really, wow! Not the vampire bit, all the Slytherins know that, but that you're his mate. How long has he known?"

"I don't know, I only found out the other day and that was by accident. He said he didn't want me to feel pressured into bonding with him as I'm only 16."

"That's understandable, as you said you haven't had much experience so it would be difficult to say for sure and we are talking about a lifelong commitment here. Once professor Snape bonds with you he will never be able to have blood from anyone else, even if you decide to leave him."

"I wouldn't do that."

"You say that now but in 10 years, 20 years, who's to say. A lot can change in that time."

"I suppose you're right although the more I learn the more sure I am that I want to be with him."

"That's fine Haddy, just know that there's no rush so take your time. It would be better to be sure before you make anything permanent."

"True, though I do wonder what it would be like to kiss him. I mean Blaise was good but would it be even better with him."

"Blaise is good," Pansy laughed, "but I have always thought Snape covered up a passionate person beneath that buttoned up exterior."

"Really, I always picture him cool and calculating, bossing me around."

"Hadrian Malfoy, are you trying to tell me you picture Snape as your Dom! You kinky devil!"

"What? I've know idea what you're talking about."

"BDSM. Bondage Dominance Sadism/Masochism. In this instance you like the idea of professor Snape bossing you about."

"Um, maybe."

"Which means that you're a submissive type, you like the idea of giving up control to another and you like the idea of professor Snape as your dominant, the one in control, ordering you about."

"Yes I guess. I've pictured it a couple of times when I fantasised about it," Haddy said, blushing.

"See I said you were a kinky devil. Mind if I ask for details, I fear I must live vicariously through others as I've yet to find someone who sparks those kinds of feelings."

"I don't know if I can, it seems a bit silly when I think about it, it just feels right at the time."

"Look Haddy, there is nothing to be ashamed of. What you like is what you like, same as the person you like. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about your preferences."

"What if he doesn't like it, though?"

"What's the alternative? That you keep a side of you repressed and possibly end up resenting him? Look you've never actually tried it before so you might not like the reality. Sometimes that's all these things are, fantasies, but the truth is you won't know till you try."

"I guess you're right. It just feels like a lot to think about, you know."

"I guess that's the problem of knowing you're his mate, it's always going to have this serious edge."

"Tell me about it. Doesn't help that last time we spoke I got mad at him for not telling me. I can understand, now, why he might want to let me enjoy my teenage years but it still sucked."

"I get you, anyway enough of maudlin topics, it's killing my buzz. Unless you know of anyone strong and handsome who's willing to throw me around the bedroom a bit."

"No, sorry Pansy. Closest I knew was Marcus Flint and Oliver Wood but I kind of just set them up."

"Shame, it's been a while since I had a shag. Wood might have worked but I always thought he might have a thing for Flint, those two always did seem to circle each other, kind of like two other people I know who seemed to hate each other."

"On that note I'm leaving, but if I think of anyone that might fit your needs I'll send them your way."

"You're definitely one of the good ones, Hadrian Malfoy."

The rest of the party passed in somewhat of a blur, eventually the couples came back, all trying to act as if nothing had happened which caused Haddy to get the giggles and had absolutely nothing to do with the second brownie he ate.

"So Haddy, how was your first teenage party?" Draco asked him.

"Fun, though I think you had a better time than I did."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Of course not but you're both basically adults so I'm not going to judge but you're my brother and she's my best friend so just make sure you're on the same page or I'll kick both your arses."

"Fine, though I'm kind of surprised at our cousin."

"Apparently not being a Longbottom is good for him. I think aunt Bella and uncle Rodo are going to be good for him. I'm kind of looking forward to the new school year now."

"True, even if you lose the weasel as a friend you seem to have gained a few in the Slytherin house."

"Yeah, turns out you're not such a bunch of pompous arses once you get beneath that cool exterior."

"Ah, but I know whose cool exterior you want to get beneath."

"Shut up you," Hadrian said, giving his brother a hard shove.

"Well, anyway, I'm ready to go whenever you are, just need to say our goodbyes. Is Lysander coming back with us?"

"He was meant to though I've no idea what the plan is now."

"I'll go track him down, I assume he's still with Blaise, you can let Hermione know, I think she was going to talk to Pansy."

"We could go together you know."

"Nah, quicker this way."

Hadrian let it slide this time but hoped that wasn't a sign of things to come. He was starting to really get in with Draco and Hermione had been great with everything, it would seriously suck if he had to spend time with them separately from now on. It could be worse though, at least they were in different dorms at school. He just wished he didn't have to worry about his friends on top of everything else. Things were meant to be easier now Voldemort was no more, but he had the stuff with Severus as well as the meeting in front of the Wizengamot on Monday to worry about. That was going to be fun as it was a big red rag to Dumbledore saying 'we're ruining all of your plans, what are you going to do about it', the fall out was going to be immense. At least the goblins would be there as well, they were going to force Dumbledore to give up his holding over his assets which would mean the order would have to look for new headquarters. On second thoughts, maybe getting resorted to Slytherin wouldn't be such a bad idea.


	28. Chapter 28

Haddy stood in the ante chamber waiting to go out in front of the Wizengamot and he'd never been so nervous in his life. He was glad he wasn't there alone: his father and Severus were also there, along with Linux, as a representative of Gringotts bank, and Lysander, who seemed to be in as much a state as he was. They had put their goblin charms on, thinking it would help their cause for everyone to know what had happened to them. Haddy was trying to keep cool but it didn't help that Severus had basically ignored him since he got here. Haddy had hoped to talk to him a bit but he'd simply nodded a greeting to him and dragged his papa off into the corner. Haddy was sure whatever they were discussing was important, if the serious looks on their faces was anything to go by. He tried to listen to what they were saying, worrying that everything they were planning would fall through but before he knew it the two men parted. Now all he and Lysander had to do was wait for the meeting to get to 'appointments and council seats' and they could make their claim and hope that things went to plan. It felt like forever before Richmond Parkinson, Pansy's father, came to collect them.

Haddy remembered the walk from last year, he never thought he would be here again so soon, but at least he had his father's hand on his shoulder this time, offering him silent comfort. Severus even gave Lysander a comforting pat on the back, or at least it probably would have been comforting coming from anyone else. It didn't help that Severus had an extremely sour look on his face; it had been there since before they entered the room so Haddy didn't think it had anything to do with comforting Lysander. He was also acting very frostily towards his father so Haddy wondered if this was all part of some plan.

"What is the meaning of this Mr Parkinson," Dumbledore asked, "why are these gentlemen here?"

"Misters Snape and Malfoy are here to claim their rightful seats on the council and Mr Lestrange is here to petition for his family seats as heir apparent," Linux informed the council.

"I believe Mr Malfoy is already in possession of his family's seats," said Dumbledore sarcastically.

"Mr Hadrian Malfoy has inherited the Potter and Black family seats." 

Dumbledore's face looked like thunder, "I would suggest, mister goblin, that you inform the council of what you have learned."

"Very well sir. Dear council members, over the summer both Mr Potter and Mr Longbottom came into the bank for an inheritance test. Thanks to this test we were able to learn that Mr Potter is in fact Hadrian Malfoy, the younger son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and Mr Longbottom is in fact Lysander Lestrange."

"How is this possible?" Gordon Abbott asked.

"We don't know for sure," Lucius said, " I am hoping for an investigation of the DMLE and St Mungo's to see if they can uncover anything. I am aware that a lot of time has passed, however, and so it will be hard to pick up any trails."

"Yes that is a shame," said Dumbledore, " can I assume you'll be suing them again?"

"No, I've got my son back, that is more than I could have asked for, I just want to make sure no one else has to suffer like my family has."

"How very magnanimous of you."

"Thank you Albus, now I assume you will want the boys to take an inheritance test in front of you, I wouldn't want anyone to accuse us of lying about this after all."

"Quite, although you still haven't explained why professor Snape is here."

"If you will, headmaster, it has come to my attention that I have inherited the Prince seats from my grandfather and would like to claim them." His face had transformed into a look of disgust, as if this was the last thing he wanted to do.

Albus Dumbledore looked quite perturbed at this and Haddy began to worry about the position Severus was putting himself in. The inheritance tests were redone, now without the blood magic showing up, and, thankfully no one asked any questions. Haddy assumed it was because those who were with the Malfoys already knew about his and Lysander's heritage and those who were loyal to Dumbledore's side didn't want to bring up anything at a time it might go on official record. He assumed the old man would have a lot of questions coming his way once this session let out.

The rest of the council session was immensely boring and seemed to drag by: Haddy was now positive he could never handle life in the political sphere and would be sure to tell Lady Aurelia next time he saw her, he felt it would be prudent to stay in her good graces. Once it had been confirmed that Haddy and Lysander were who they claimed, and they gave Lucius control over their vote, it was simply a case of waiting. Severus had retained control over his own seats saying that, like the headmaster, he would come to sessions as required.

The vote regarding magical creature reproductive rights came right at the end. The council had just finished a lengthy debate on an immensely important topic: whether Earl Grey should be served on the afternoon tea trolley alongside the Darjeeling, and if so should they also make lemon slices available as well as milk, when Albus Dumbledore spoke up once again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, before we adjourn I would like to propose one final point of discussion. In recent weeks there has been a lot of talk about magical creatures causing havoc at St Mungo's, ever since the incident, a couple of months ago, where a female werewolf went into labour just before the full moon. She was taken to the hospital with apparent complications, having been found in the street in distress, and St Mungo's staff were taken completely unawares. Aurors were summoned when the hospital staff realised what was happening but it was too late to remove the mother before she turned and, unfortunately, the mother had tone put down, as the risk to staff and other patients was too great. We were lucky this time but it could have been a lot worse and we need to prevent something like this from happening again. As such, I would like to propose The Maternity Protection Act to protect the right of all witches and wizards to give birth in a safe and comfortable environment. Magical creatures should return to their own realms for the duration of any pregnancy. Those who agree that the future of the wizarding world needs to be protected should vote 'aye'."

"But what about creatures like vampires and werewolves?" Lucius asked, "they do not have their own realms and, as such, would have nowhere to go."

"That is unfortunate," said Dumbledore, "but as it was a werewolf that put so many at risk I don't see how they can complain. I would suggest they try to make provisions with other realms for the wizarding world would not be responsible for any actions they would have to take to keep our own people safe."

"But wouldn't that make it more difficult for newborn creatures to register in the magical world, making it harder for them to marry in this world in the future?"

"Possibly," Dumbledore pondered, "perhaps that is something we could look into at a later date, when it is pertinent as opposed to mere conjecture. For now I believe the safety of our citizens should be paramount which is why I have proposed this bill. Any more questions?"

"I have one," Hadrian said, stepping forward, "who would this bill cover? You said magical creatures but what about people with creature blood?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw his father's lips quirk into a small smile. He liked to think that Severus was proud as well although the man's face remained forever stoic.

"Well Mr Potter," Dumbledore began.

"Mr Malfoy," Hadrian interrupted.

"Forgive me, Mr Malfoy, it is a little difficult to remember having spent the last years teaching you as Harry Potter."

Hadrian removed his goblin charm, causing the assembled council to gasp.

"What is the meaning of this!" Arthur Weasley exclaimed.

"Apparently there had been a number of blood charms placed on me that the goblins have been kind enough to cleanse," Haddy explained.

"Well, that is surprising," Dumbledore said, "but back to the matter at hand, the law would cover anyone who would pit the wizarding world at risk so the amount of creature blood is not necessarily a factor."

"And who would determine who posed a risk and who didn't. After all I have had numerous wizards making attempts on my life over the years and they haven't been creatures, what about my safety? Or, for that fact, what about the safety of those people around me who might get caught in the crossfire should someone attack me."

"But you are a wizard not a witch," commented Ignatius Prewett, "as such you would not be frequenting a maternity ward, which is currently the only ward covered by this bill."

"I may be wrong, sir, having unfortunately grown up ignorant in the muggle world, but I was under the impression that there were potions that a wizard could take to become pregnant. As I'm gay there is definitely a possibility I may wish to get pregnant in the future." Hadrian thought he heard Severus growl but he could have been mistaken as it was hard to hear much over the commotion his comments had caused; apparently the savior of the wizarding world outing himself was big news.

The meeting seemed to descend into chaos after that. Haddy maintained that he could never back a law that some unscrupulous person might be able to use against him which left Dumbledore at a loss as, even looking like a Malfoy, it seemed that few wanted to go against the boy-who-lived, especially in the wake of the attack on the ministry. Even Fudge seemed to be bending over backwards to make apologies to him and try to come up with reasons for his actions the previous year, the added power of the Malfoy name attached to 'Harry Potter' was apparently too much for most people to handle. As it was, when the vote to pass 'The Maternity Protection Act' came the result was 43-8 against and it failed spectacularly.

"Before we adjourn," announced Linux as the council session was drawing to a close, "I would like to formally request the release of one of Mr Malfoy's properties. He would like to get people into it to do renovations but it is under a fidelius charm not of his doing."

"You will have to bring the caster before us," said Cornelius Fudge.

"He's already here, Albus Dumbledore is the caster and secret keeper."

"Is this true, Albus?" Cornelius asked.

"Yes, the use of the property was awarded to me by its previous owner, for use by the order of the Phoenix in the fight against lord Voldemort. I had hoped Mr Potter, sorry, Mr Malfoy, would continue with his late godfather's wishes, especially for such a worthy cause."

"Quite professor," Haddy said, "only I fear the property is not fit for purpose. When I was there last summer and at Christmas I could see how much it has fallen into disrepair and I fear for the safety of its inhabitants. I know Mrs Weasley is doing everything she can but she is only one person and, as such, can only do so much. That is why I would like to get people in to get it back up to scratch so the order no longer has to suffer with such poor facilities. I have every intention of letting the order use it again once the work is done, should you still need it, and I'm sure someone else could lend you the use of their property in the meantime. After all, it is for such a worthy cause."

Dumbledore couldn't come up with an adequate reason to object and so the wards were transferred to Haddy. Lucius informed him that Narcissa was planning on visiting the property later in the week to inspect the damage so he might want to inform anyone staying to pack up before then.

Lucius led their party out of the ministry towards The Leaky Cauldron so they could floo to Hogsmead. Haddy knew Lucius's pureblood breeding was the only thing stopping him from dancing with joy the whole way, a slight softening around his mouth was the only sign that anything was different to usual.

Lysander pulled him aside a little and whispered, "are you sure Snape wanted to do that, he doesn't look very happy."

Haddy looked over at the new defense professor whose face looked like thunder. "Yeah I'm positive, he is half vampire, remember, I think he's just playing a part to try and keep in with Dumbledore. He's going to be in enough trouble for not saying anything about where we were, I assume he's come up with something with papa to cover that, he needs to keep up appearances."

"Well he's definitely doing a good job."

"He is a master spy," Hadrian replied. He looked at the man who haunted his dreams and couldn't help but be impressed by the man's dedication and skill. He smiled. If he wasn't sure before he was now, Severus Snape was definitely the man for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its only one chapter today I got a little stuck on the one I was writing and it took an entire rewrite to get it right. Hopefully my muse will be back in full swing again soon but for now I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.


	29. Chapter 29

It took until they were on the long path up to Hogwarts for Lucius to burst out laughing.

"Did you see his face when the results were coming in? Priceless! Even better than when you took off your charm, Hadrian. I am so proud of you for speaking out like that although I am a little worried about the papers tomorrow, you know they will be full of stories about you now you've publicly come out."

"Well, I figured they would be writing about mine and Lysander's heritage anyway so why not throw in about being gay as well. With any luck they'll have too many stories to choose from to know what to concentrate on. Hopefully the news cycle will have moved on before they have a chance to do too much damage."

"How very Slytherin of you, Hadrian," Severus said with a smirk

"Coming from you, Severus, I'll take that as a compliment." Hadrian flashed him a smile, glad that the man was acknowledging him again. "By the way, I assume you and papa have worked out some devious scheme to cover for you not having told Dumbledore about Lysander and me."

"Quite, everyone at the Parkinson's Lammas celebration took a wizard's oath to prevent us from divulging anything we learned there. Obviously it wouldn't cover anything I learned around that but the records of the oath will still exist and thankfully Albus has never been able to break my occlumency shields."

"Your coming out will also help Severus," Lucius continued, "apparently I'm blackmailing him having found out you're his mate."

"Oh, we're letting the headmaster know about that."

"Yes," said Severus, "it is more than adequate cover for any votes I make against Dumbledore and it will make him feel like he has some sort of leverage over me. Especially if I let slip about not being deemed worthy if I don't have the means to support you."

"That's a load of rubbish, I can support myself thank you. Heck I'm pretty sure I could support both us and a family without having to work a day in my life."

"You are correct about your finances son, especially after your investment in Weasley's wizarding wheezes, I am very impressed with the ideas those boys are coming up with. Severus, however, is also correct, your grandmother was most insistent on that front."

Hadrian suddenly became a little worried, he knew Lady Aurelia was a force to be reckoned with and he didn't want to have to go against her. "That's not going to be an issue now though, is it? I mean they can't take your inheritance away can they?"

"Technically they can't," said Lucius, taking over the explanation as Severus seemed to have been stuck dumb momentarily. "However if Severus were to be arrested as a death eater then it could be confiscated which theoretically gives Dumbledore leverage. This isn't really a risk now since the death eaters have been disbanded, although Dumbledore is currently still unaware of this fact, I mean wouldn't want to clue him in too soon now would we. By the way, Hadrian, can I take it from your reaction that you are seriously considering becoming Severus's mate."

"Yes I am," said Haddy, catching and holding Severus's gaze. Severus gulped but didn't look away. "In fact I think it's a good thing the headmaster knows because if he has no objections no, when he thinks it's only a possibility, he won't be able to object when it becomes definite."

"Don't you mean if, Hadrian?"

"No, Severus, at this point I'm almost certain." Severus simply growled and stormed ahead.

Lucius chuckled, "I'm glad to hear you're giving it some serious thought, son, but remember there is no rush. You have all the rest of your lives after all."

"It's kind of weird to think about it," said Lysander, "it might be worth taking it slowly to make sure you don't risk freaking people out. Muggles, especially, will probably need a bit of time to get used to the idea. Not that I think you need their permission, just it'll make things easier for you if people are accepting your relationship instead of fighting it."

"Good thinking, Lysander, we'll make a Slytherin of you yet."

The family made their way to the castle and Lucius stayed to make sure the boys got settled. The Fat Lady had been reluctant to let him in at first and Haddy had had to remove his charm and explain the whole story before she would open up. 

Lucius had never been in Gryffindor tower before and couldn't help looking around and comparing it to the dungeons. He was slightly put out by the abundance of natural light that helped warm the rooms, apparently the damp and cold was a source of much contention amongst the snakes. He was heartened to note that the furnishings were much better in Slytherin, however, and agreed that maybe it was a fair trade. They spent the afternoon playing wizards chess while they waited for the other students to arrive; Hadrian playing Lysander with Lucius offering instruction. It was the strangest first day of Hogwarts Hadrian had ever had.

On the Hogwarts express, things were going on as usual, even with two prominent students missing. The disappearance of Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom had been the source of much gossip among the general population and the source of much sniggering among the Slytherins. The snakes were looking forward to the looks of shock when everyone else learned the truth and, as such, were all on their best behavior, not wanting to accidentally give anything away.

The prefects were having a meeting as usual, but there seemed to be an undercurrent of tension in the room. From the moment they had walked in, Draco had outright ignored Hermione so he missed the glares she was sending him, which wasn't unusual under normal circumstances but Pansy knew better and didn't think Hermione was that good an actress. She was planning on confronting when the rumor mill came to a head. 

"Where's Harry Potter then, Weasley?" Anthony Goldstein asked.

"What's it to you?"

"Everyone knows he didn't get on the train so where is he, was there another attack over the summer."

"Not that it's any business of yours but no there wasn't an attack over the summer, Harry's just busy that's all, he'll be at school, you'll see."

"You sure about that, Weasley?" Draco taunted.

"Leave off, Malfoy, of course Harry wouldn't miss school," Hermione said, frostily.

"That's right, Hermione, and he definitely wouldn't miss the chance to kick your arse at quidditch ferret face."

"On that, weasel, I would have to agree with you."

Pansy snickered, "do we really not have anything better to discuss than Potter."

"Look," said Ernie MacMillan, "your inquisitorial squad has been disbanded so no need for you Slytherins to try throwing your weight around. Some of us are serious about fighting he-who-must-not-be-named and we know that Harry is our best shot. Forgive us for caring about how he is."

"Does that mean you'll stop caring about his well being when the dark lord is defeated?" Draco asked.

"Of course not!" Macmillan exclaimed, the rest of the prefects, except the Slytherins, all nodded in agreement.

"Careful, Malfoy, it almost sounds as if you want you-know-who gone."

"Who says I don't Weasley."

The head boy and girl took advantage of the other prefect's shock at Draco's statement to wrench control of the meeting back and went over schedules. When the meeting was over Pansy pulled Draco into a compartment, kicking out the previous occupants.

"Right you, spill, what's going on with you and Granger."

"Nothing Pans, I don't know what you're talking about."

"The girl was giving you death glares all through that meeting but I know you've been getting on thanks to Haddy so what happened."

"I have no idea. If Hermione has an issue then it's news to me. We were getting on fine, then the party happened. Haddy suggested we get on the same page before school started so I sent her an owl yesterday saying that we should just take things as they come and didn't receive a reply so I assumed she agreed with me."

"What did you say, exactly."

"Just that I had a lot of fun at the party but that we didn't know what the fallout will be from Haddy's big reveal so it would probably be best if we take a step back and see how things go."

"You fucking moron!"

"What? It's not like I don't want to spend time with her anymore, she's actually quite fun, but you know Weasley's going to throw a fit as it is so it's probably best for her if we keep our distance for a bit."

"But you didn't actually say that did you. No, idiot that you are, you have sex with a girl then send her a letter that basically says 'thanks for the shag but I don't want to see you again'."

"That is not what I said!"

"That is how she'll read it."

"Bloody girl talk, I swear even your context has context."

"Yeah, well, what are you going to do about it?"

"What can I do? It's not like I can go up to her in the corridor and say 'sorry if you got the wrong impression but I do think you're more than a good lay but timing sucks to start anything'."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "men! You're all useless I swear. You might not be able to talk to her without Weasley getting the hump, but I can. Now bugger off while I fix your mess."

Draco dropped a quick kiss on her cheek before running out the compartment and sending some poor second year to tell Hermione Pansy wanted a word. Thankfully it wasn't long before Hermione came barging in, scowling enough to put Snape to shame.

"What is it Parkinson, I've got things to do."

"Draco's an arse, he would tell you himself now but he's pretty sure Weasley will have an aneurism if he tried. Don't worry I'll make sure he apologizes, properly and in person, but at a time when you won't get shit for it."

Hermione seemed to deflate, "sorry for acting like a twat to you when you haven't done anything but this journey has been shit already and we've barely started. Yes Draco's letter yesterday was a little harsh but it wasn't anything I wasn't expecting, it's just another thing I have to deal with on top of lying to all my friends, which sucks by the way."

"Don't worry about it, I can imagine, but what did you mean you were expecting Draco's letter. I mean he can act like a dick at times but he's not a complete cad."

"Yeah, I know, he's actually been pretty great over the summer but its not like I expected some sort of relationship out of it. I mean he's always been proud of being a pureblood, that's not changed, so he's not gonna suddenly go around dating me is he. He's eventually gonna settle down with some nice pureblood witch or wizard and have lots of lovely pureblood babies."

"Are you trying to say you want to marry him?"

"What? Of course not! I'm just trying to be realistic. At best I would be a bit of fun on the side, I doubt he would even want to be seen publicly with a known muggleborn."

"I know you've said you've been getting to know Draco but I don't think you know him at all. Yes his pureblood status is important to him but he doesn't hold someone's blood status against them. I know he's given you some shit in the past but that was only name calling in the heat of the moment. Just look at him and professor Snape, he idolizes that man and doesn't care one bit that he's a half blood."

"I guess you're right, you have known him longer, but it's fine either way. He was right when he said there was going to be a lot of fallout from Haddy coming out as Malfoy, there's no need to add any more wood to the fire."

"So long as you're sure, but for the record I think you'd be good for him."

"Thanks Pansy, but it's fine but if that's all I should probably get back before Ron sends a search party."

"Sure, just one thing before you go, do you like him, Draco that is?"

Hermione sighed in resignation, "sure I'm attracted to him, wouldn't have slept with him otherwise, he's handsome, smart and witty although, like you said, he can be an arse sometimes, but yeah, I like him and hope we can get back to being friends when things calm down. Now if that's all I'll see you around."

With that she left and Pansy was left wondering if her new friend was missing out on something.


	30. Chapter 30

Haddy and Lysander had been in the Gryffindor common room when all their friends had arrived and they had both been swamped with hugs until Ron had dragged them up to their dorm room, sending warning looks to everyone else to stay put.

"Where the hell were you, mate, do you have any idea how worried we all were when you disappeared? Least you could have done is let mum know you were safe and you could have come to the Burrow or Grimmauld place if you had to get away from your relatives. I'm sure we could have worked something out with Dumbledore."

"Yeah, well, I had to work some stuff out and I didn't want to get you guys in trouble with anyone. Anyway I did send Hermione a letter to say I was OK."

"Yeah but you could have sent one to mum, she was really upset about that you know, you should write to her and apologize. But how come you went to Neville for help and not me? No offence Neville but I'm meant to be your best mate."

"Yeah, I know Ron," said 'Harry', choosing to ignore the fact that Mrs Weasley hadn't bothered to write to him to ask how he was so why should he have written to her, " its nothing against you but you wouldn't have understood, having parents and all, at least ones who are around."

"So what, that means I don't get to know what's going on with you cos I still got loving parents."

"No Ron, that's not it, I just needed to talk to Neville while I was working things out. I got it figured out now so I'm gonna let everyone know during the feast."

"Why don't you just tell me now, that way I can help field questions and stuff from everyone else."

"I would but it'll take too long, don't want to miss all the good food, don't worry you won't have to wait long."

"Fine, but you owe me."

They made their way to the great hall and Haddy made sure to get a spot in the middle of the table ready for his big announcement, opposite Ron as opposed to next to in case his so called friend didn't take the news too well. He knew it would be all over the prophet tomorrow, Minty had popped in to say there were already reporters camped outside Malfoy Manor, but he had discussed it with Lysander and they'd decided to try and get a jump on it. So he sat patiently through the sorting and Dumbledore's welcome speech, list of banned objects; keep out of the forest blah blah. He had to duck his head to hide his laugh when the old man started talking about the dangers of Voldemort and death eaters. He knew he must look as tense as he felt from the concerned looks Hermione kept shooting him. He was glad he had his back to the Slytherin table as he could feel Draco's stare boring into the back of his head. Dumbledore was just about to summon the food he stood up and cast sonnerus on himself.

"If you don't mind, headmaster, I have an announcement of my own before everyone gets lost to food." Dumbledore nodded his head, obviously aware of what Haddy was about to do and probably feeling a bit smug about it. "Thank you, now I won't keep you long but there will be some news in the prophet tomorrow but I thought I should tell you all ahead of time. Over the summer I became aware that I was not only Harry Potter but also Hadrian Malfoy, I'm not aware of the details but apparently there had been some mix up when I was born. Now I don't mind which name you call me, I'm legally both, but I will admit I prefer Hadrian," he took his charm of and changed into a near clone of Draco, "this might help people remember."

Neville stood up next to him, taking his own charm off to reveal finer facial features and light blue eyes, "and I found out I'm actually Lysander Lestrange."

"Anyway," continued Haddy, "that is all, I'll answer questions where I can but can you please ask them one at a time."

The room had been absolutely silent at the announcement, almost everyone in shock, but Colin Creevey, who was sitting almost opposite him raised his hand to ask a question.

"Sorry to bother you Harry, um Hadrian, but I was wondering what happened to your scar. It was there before but when you changed it disappeared. I'm not sure but I didn't think curse scars were supposed to do that."

Trust Colin, Haddy thought. "That's alright Colin, I'm actually glad you asked. You see over the summer Voldemort attacked me again. I'm not entirely sure of the mechanics of what happened but there was a bright light when I touched him and we were both knocked out. When I awoke my scar had gone and Voldemort was no more." There was a collective gasp that went out around the hall at that announcement, even Dumbledore, who'd been wearing his 'I knew all this already' look was startled by this.

"You mean you-know-who is really gone for good?" Colin asked.

"Yep, even the elves that helped heal me confirmed it so no need to worry anymore." Hadrian looked straight at the headmaster, "I guess it really is a celebration, huh, professor."

"Yes, I do believe you're correct Mr Malfoy, although I will obviously do my own checks to confirm your assertions. Now if there are no more earth shattering announcements, let us eat."

There was an almighty roar that went all around the hall, even the Slytherins joining in the celebrations. It was only Ron who looked ready to murder.

"What the fuck, mate, didn't think your best mate deserved to know any of that before, huh. Didn't think it would be a good idea to give the order a heads up to say, no need to fight the dark lord anymore I already killed him. Seriously, it's like I don't even know you anymore."

"Well maybe, mate, I might have told you something if you'd showed the slightest interest in what was going on with me. As I barely received a letter from you all summer I figured you didn't care."

"Since when is it on me, that's the sort of thing you're supposed to share with your best friend, or is that changing now as well."

"Oh, don't you dare put this on me Ron, I was there you know, at Sirius's will reading. I heard what you, Ginny and your mum said so I know what you really think; me changing is not the reason we're no longer friends but me finding out what you actually think. I've stopped paying your school fees, by the way. I'd probably have done it voluntarily if you'd asked before but I don't appreciate your family stealing from me." Ron and Ginny were both bright red, matching perfectly with their hair and robes. "Oh and Ginny, turns out you were right, I am actually gay, so you can stop planning our wedding, its not going to happen."

Mouths were hanging open all over the table. Haddy did consider leaving, feeling uncomfortable with so many eyes on him, but he refused to be cowed by them and started eating again. He'd promised his parents that no matter what he'd make sure to eat three good meals a day as they were worried he'd start skipping as an easy way to get away from the attention. After so long with the Dursleys he still found it easy to skip a meal and they were worried he'd ruin all the progress he'd made over the summer; he'd not only started to fill out a bit so he was no longer scrawny but he'd also grown three inches.

Dinner passed, albeit tensely, and eventually everyone started heading back to the dorms. He was glad Ron was on prefect duty, herding first years, but he felt sorry for Hermione. Ron had figured out she had known what was going on and had been giving her the cold shoulder ever since. At least Dean and Seamus were still talking to him, although that probably had more to do with the no more Voldemort news than anything else.

He'd gone to bed early claiming tiredness from all the excitement. The other students had wanted him to stay and celebrate Voldemort's demise, although they still struggled to say his name, but Haddy had begged off saying they had plenty of time to celebrate now, especially when the rest of the wizarding world found out the good news. There was a big party planned for Friday night, so they could get supplies in and sleep off any hangovers on Saturday. Haddy had promised he would be there and that had been enough for them for now. The problem was he wasn't actually tired, he'd just wanted to get away from everyone. 

Truth be told what he really waited to do was to go and talk to Severus. He'd barely seen the man since that morning and wanted to have a good heart to heart, let the man know he was serious about pursuing a relationship, but he wasn't sure if he could get to him or if his presence would even be welcome. He got out the marauders map and watched Severus's dot walking around the Slytherin dorms. Maybe if he waited for the ruckus in the common room to die down he could sneak out.

It was past curfew by the time he actually got a chance. McGonagall had come in to shift everyone to bed reminding them that lessons started in the morning so it would be a good idea for them to get some rest. Haddy had feigned sleep when the other boys had come up, his map and invisibility cloak carefully hidden beneath his pillow. Lysander had been with the rest of them, likely fielding questions, and had thankfully suggested they not disturb him when they all went to bed as Haddy had been under a lot of stress recently and probably needed his rest. It was partly true but Haddy made a vow to himself to do something to thank Lys for this kindness. When he heard gentle, and some not so gentle, snores he got his map out again to make sure he wasn't too late. Snape wasn't patrolling tonight so Haddy assumed the rooms he was in were his private quarters. Quietly grabbing the potions text he'd been given, to use as an excuse, he made his way downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to apologize in advance. When I first started writing this I'd planned out a certain amount but I have long since gotten past that point and new chapters tend to take a bit of time to work out. Sometimes I can come up with with an idea that will cover a couple of chapters and sometimes I struggle to fill even one. As such my updates may start to slow down a bit but rest assured it is still being written.


	31. Chapter 31

It didn't take Hadrian long to make his way to the dungeons. Thankfully no one seemed to be out on patrol; either assuming the students wouldn't be out wandering on the first night back or too busy celebrating themselves. He had almost religiously checked the map to make sure Severus didn't sneak out but his luck had kept up and the man had kept to the same rooms all night. Now here he was, in front of a landscape, because of course Severus wouldn't trust a portrait. Eventually he worked up the courage to knock and it didn't take long for the man to open up.

"Yes, who's there?"

Haddy didn't bother answering or removing his cloak, simply pushing past him. He'd brushed up against Severus and that must have been enough for the man's vampiric senses because all he said was "Hadrian" before turning around, shutting the painting behind him.

"What are you doing here at this time of night, its past curfew, I should be giving you detention, or at least be docking house points."

"I, um, came to give you back your book. Mama bought me a new one so I won't need it anymore."

"That was a gift Hadrian, you do not need to return it and if you can't understand why I gave it to you then I'm afraid I underestimated you."

"Oh I certainly appreciate the help, Severus, Draco, Hermione and I tested a number of your improvements and it was amazing I don't know why you haven't made them public."

"No one will publish the works of a known death eater, at least not without the backing of someone like Dumbledore and he has made it clear that won't happen until you defeat the dark lord and the wizarding world is at peace."

"But the dark lord is gone and the death eaters disbanded."

"Yes but some are still 'believers' so to speak, although I don't know if there's anyone to properly organise them now. Regardless, I don't see the headmaster helping me get published anytime soon, he likes having control over people."

"I suppose he would stop me if I tried to help you."

Severus nodded, "Regulus once suggested getting my work published in his name, as a Black he had a lot of pull but Dumbledore told him, in no uncertain terms, that he would come out with the same work and claim Regulus had plagiarised him, ruining his name and preventing me from being able to claim my own work. That's why I had wanted to keep my book, as proof."

"Then why give it to me, if it's so important?"

Severus sighed, "maybe I'm getting fed up of it mouldering away on a shelf and thought it could be put to good use. I wasn't fair to you over the last few years, I saw the gap in your knowledge but penalized you for it instead of helping you as a good teacher should have. You would probably be a lot better at potions if I had; you're a smart boy Hadrian and I wanted to make amends for the past."

"If you need this book in tact to prove your rights in the future I'm glad I saved it. We all copied the text into new books so it won't matter if it gets damaged in class and the original will be kept safe. You'll still be helping me a lot. You've got nothing to apologize for, by the way, I know Dumbledore did everything he could to make you hate me."

"I didn't have to go along with it, at least not to that degree, even when the dark lord was abound."

Hadrian walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm. "That's all in the past, Severus, we already forgave each other, remember, I'd like to take the chance to get to know you properly now."

"Harry Potter wanting to spend time with the greasy git, what is the world coming to?"

"Hadrian Malfoy is wanting to spend time with Severus Snape, especially as I'm meant to be your mate." Haddy stepped closer and ran his fingers through dark, silky locks. "And it's soft, not greasy."

"Careful Hadrian," said Severus, trying to take a step back but Hadrian held strowan

"Or what, you'll ravish me? You act as if I wouldn't want that."

Severus started getting angry. "Stop Hadrian, you're playing with fire. Do you know what would happen if I were to claim you?"

"You would only ever be able to drink from me and my life would be extended to match yours so I could always be here for you."

"What a delightfully romantic notion although I fear the reality would be quite different. You would be little more than a walking blood bank for me and you would have no choice, I would compel you to allow me to feed whether you wanted to or not."

"What makes you think you'll have to."

"Oh maybe not at first, noble Gryffindor that you are, you'd willingly sacrifice yourself, even for me but what about in a year, 10 years, 100. You are young, you don't understand."

"You're not giving me the chance. I'm not saying let's bond now but why are you pushing me away without even giving me a chance to see if this is something I could want."

"You would want this!" Severus snarled and allowed his fangs to extend. Haddy gasped at the sight. "See, I can read the fear in your eyes Hadrian."

"I think you need to get your eyes checked, Severus, because I'm not scared."

Hadrian hadn't been able to take his eyes off Severus's fangs since they'd been bared and found himself bringing his hands up to touch them. They were so smooth and white; he gently ran his finger along the length and caught the pad on the tip, causing it to bleed slightly. Severus's nostrils flared as Haddy quickly sucked his finger to remove any traces of blood.

"Sorry," Haddy said sheepishly, "didn't mean to temp you like that."

"Hadrian, I'm afraid you are temptation itself, it can't be helped."

"What do you mean Severus?"

"What I mean is you were a fine young man as Harry Potter, a little scrawny but otherwise quite handsome. Now you are Hadrian Malfoy, however, you are positively beautiful and I feel ashamed of myself for wanting you the way I do."

Hadrian smiled, "oh, that's good. I had thought you only wanted me because I was your mate, I didn't realise you actually liked me like that."

Severus brought his hand up to caress Hadrian's cheek. "How could I not like you like that, you look like an angel, and have a personality to match: strong, noble and caring. You are going to have men lining the streets for a chance to be with you."

"But I don't want them."

"How do you know that. You've never been with anyone before, you said yourself you only recently realised you were gay. How can you possibly be sure enough to even consider bonding to me."

"Because you're the reason I realised I was gay. I'd had dreams of a dark haired, dark eyed individual for years but I could never remember much in the morning. Thanks to years of living with the Dursley's I'd repressed my sexuality to the point I'd thought it was Cho Chang I was dreaming of. But after talking with Draco and actually, you know, experimenting, I realised it was you. It had always been you, and I think somewhere deep down I'd known that which is why being around you used to make me so angry."

"How can you know, Hadrian, it's just a fantasy, the reality may fall far short."

"Then let me see, give me the chance to find out. I'm not asking to bond to you tomorrow but I'd like the opportunity to actually get to know you, to see if we could actually work together."

Severus sighed, "you're not going to give up on this are you."

A grin spread across Haddy's face, "nope, not in the slightest. I'm afraid you're stuck with me, at least for the time being."

Severus smiled back. "Now, you need to go back to your dorm before you're missed, I don't want you getting in trouble on the first day."

"Ah but someone's got to take on the twin's mantle, now they've left."

"Not you, you brat," Severus said, opening his door and gesturing for Haddy to leave, "now get going before I start docking points."

Hadrian walked to the door. "You're getting soft in your old age," he jokingly said and dropped a quick kiss on his teachers cheek. "Goodnight Severus, I'll see you in the morning." With that he quickly pulled the cloak back around him and darted into the night.

Severus stood at the entrance to his quarters dumbstruck. It had been such a chaste kiss, barely brushing his cheek, yet it had rocked him to his very core. How was it this boy, this young man, always managed to say something or do something to turn his world upside down. Still he couldn't help but smile and indulge in the thought that, at least for now, he was wanted.

Hadrian all but skipped back to the dorm. He couldn't believe his luck, that Severus truly liked him back. He knew it would be an uphill struggle, Severus's morals wouldn't allow for them to rush into anything no matter how much Haddy wanted to try and act out his fantasies, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He didn't have any experience when it came to dating or anything so maybe it would be fun to learn. If the man hadn't been put off when he was Harry Potter and had been practically spitting venom whenever they were in the same room, he was unlikely to be put off if Hadrian Malfoy fluffed up some attempts at wooing him. Now he just had to find out who the best person to ask advice was. Thankfully he now had a plethora of people to turn to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the chapter I started to have problems with. I was initially writing it as their first kiss but it just didn't feel right yet, Severus wouldn't act so quickly. So I'm afraid you'll still have to wait for that. I did say it was a slow burn.


	32. Chapter 32

Haddy was in a great mood when he woke up. His dreams the night before had all been about him and Severus building a life together: making dinner together, sitting on the sofa watching telly, lying on the grass gazing at the stars. He'd realised that was what he wanted, not some meaningless fling but a proper relationship where he could start a family, and he wasn't above waiting for it. Kissing Severus on the cheek the night before had been daring even for him, but it had definitely been worth it. The brief peck had left his lips tingling in a way nothing ever had before and he was curious what it would feel like to kiss the man properly. He didn't think Severus had minded. In fact the man had spent several minutes just standing in his doorway, Hadrian had been checking his map to make sure the coast was clear and Severus's dot had remained in his doorway until Haddy had reached Gryffindor tower.

Still, he would have to plan this carefully, if he was going to try and woo Severus Snape. The man was renownedly stubborn after all so it wouldn't be easy to convince him that Haddy was serious about being with him. He was lost in these thoughts as he made his way to the common room and wasn't paying attention to his surroundings.

"Morning Haddy, sleep well," came Seamus 's Irish brogue, startling him.

"Morning Seamus, um, yes I did. Did you guys have a good night?"

"Yeah although we couldn't get up to much on such short notice and McGonagall shut us down quite quickly. Looking forward to Friday though, already sent an owl to my brother asking for supplies."

"Yeah, all the owls were out last night, I hope they're alright. I saw people piling multiple letters onto some to try and let their families know about you-know-who," Lavender said.

"Saying his name isn't going to bring him back, you know," Haddy joked.

"Yeah well, not all of us were born to take on powerful dark wizards so maybe give the rest of us a break," grouced Ron, clearly having woken up in an even worse mood that the night before.

"Actually Ron, none of us were."

"But what about the prophecy Dumbledore heard?"

"Was about a child born at the end of July. I was born at the beginning of June so it couldn't have been about me. Or Lysander, in fact as he was actually born in May."

Ron was speechless as the whole dorm made their way to the great hall for breakfast. It turns out Lysander had done an excellent job of fielding questions the night before, even going so far as to claim Haddy was still recovering from his showdown with the dark lord, so he was mostly left alone. Apparently all his dorm mates had spent a lot of time practicing his and Lysander's new names to help them feel welcome. Haddy wondered if they'd have been quite so welcoming if Lord Voldemort was on the loose but thankfully he didn't have to worry about that.

The owls came in as they were eating their food, as usual, with Harry Potter's face splashed all over the front page. Haddy had to laugh as it was further proof that the paper was a complete load of bollocks; the least they could do would be to put a current photo next to an old one. Still, it meant it would be a little while before the whole wizarding world recognized his new look. He hadn't bothered with a paper himself, knowing he'd be hearing about its contents all day, so he'd been too busy eating his breakfast to notice an owl land in front of him or the fact that his friends had suddenly gone quiet. It wasn't until Hermione poked his arm that he looked up and noticed Errol, the Weasley family's owl, with a steaming red howler attached to its leg. He quickly opened it, morbidly curious what she would have to say.

"Harry James Potter,

How dare you kick us out from our house you ungrateful toerag! I have spent the last year slaving away over cleaning that place and for what! I hope it falls down around that cow's ears as soon as she steps in it.

And that awful house elf of yours simply threw our belongings on the street! We were still meeting with professor Dumbledore when he heard and didn't even give us a chance to pack before launching our stuff out the window. When I did finally manage to get some stuff in a bag that wretch ripped it to pieces claiming I was trying to steal things, as if I would. I fully expect you to buy me a replacement.

Speaking of money, I can't believe you cancelled the funding for Ron and Ginny's schooling. Thankfully Professor Dumbledore was able to sort something at short notice or we would all have been stuck. To put their education at rusk like that is unspeakable. You don't deserve to have him as a friend.

My uncle Ignatius has already told me about your unnatural ways, I'm not surprised with blood as tainted as yours. To think I invited you into my home, treated you like a son and this is how you repay me. My children can do far better than the likes of you.

I hope you rot in hell."

Everyone in the hall had fallen silent at her words but Haddy burst out laughing.

"You kicked the Weasleys out of their home?" Dean asked.

"No, the order had been using one of my properties for meetings and apparently Mrs Weasley had been staying there. It needs a lot of work doing to it so mama was going to sort it out for me. That means they have to go back to the burrow."

"But shouldn't you have given them notice if you were going to kick them out," asked Lavender.

"I would have if I'd known they were staying but nobody asked if they could."

"We didn't know where you were!" Ron said indignantly, "and anyway Sirius had said it was alright so why should we bother asking you."

"Because I'm not Sirius. When a building changes owners it's polite to let the new landlord know of any tenants. You may not have known where I was but you could have sent an owl. You knew Hermione's had reached me."

"Well I thought you were my friend so I didn't think you'd mind but apparently I was wrong on both counts."

"Well last time I checked friends don't fleece each other for thousands of galleons but I might be wrong about that."

"What are you talking about?"

"That money has been taken out of my account, without my knowledge, to pay for your family's school fees, since the year we started."

"How was I to know that, mum said she asked and you said it was OK."

"So what you're saying is you knew about it but didn't bother saying anything to me. Not even a 'thanks mate'. And you had the audacity to leave me to starve at the Dursley's over the summer, I told you they had left me for a week with only 3 bottles of water and 2 bananas and your response was sorry mate here's a chocolate frog."

"Oh will you stop with the whole 'poor little Harry' routine, it's a bit old now. I mean not only did you inherit all of Sirius's stuff but now you're a Malfoy as well. So what if you were a bit short of food, you're never going to go hungry again."

"I would hardly call that a 'bit short of food'."

"Oh, does a banana not count as food to a filthy faggot like you."

"Of course I count it as food you moron, what else would it be."

"Who knows, I'm not a disgusting pervert am I. You know I always should have known you were gay with how much you like sausages."

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Sausage is another name for dick , isn't it dickhead. You like eating sausage don't you." Ron was smiling smugly, clearly thinking he'd said something very clever and witty.

"Ron, there's no need to talk like that," Hermionie said, "there's nothing wrong with being gay."

"Of course you'd say that, you're a girl, you don't have to worry about what he was thinking about when you were sharing a room."

"I can honestly say I have never been attracted to you, Ron, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Of course you'd say that now but I'd bet you'd be singing a different tune under veritaserum."

Haddy laughed at the ridiculousness of the conversation. "You know what Ron, I honestly don't care. I thought you were my friend but you only wanted to be around me for fame, so go ahead, sell your stories, rake in the money. Just be warned if you make up anything defamatory I will sue."

"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you, more days with your face on the front page well fuck you!"

"Mr Weasley, watch your language!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, "I've got your timetables here. Mr Potter, professor Dumbledore would like to see you at lunchtime for a chat, see that you're not late." With that she moved on down the table and Haddy had the distinct impression he was in her bad books, he would have to take extra care in transfiguration. Draco managed to catch his eye and indicated to leave the hall. Haddy checked his timetable and saw he had potions first, excellent excuse.

"Hermione, we got potions this morning, I'm gonna head down early, do you want me to save you a seat?"

Hermione looked at Ron's glowering face then back at Haddy, "not today, I'll see you later." Haddy nodded and made his way out the hall.

Draco caught up to him in the dungeons and pulled him into an empty classroom.

"You alright brother, that was a nasty howler you got."

"Yeah I'm fine, think I was kind of expecting it. It's nice to know what they really think of me."

"Weasley as well?"

Haddy nodded, "I think Hermione is trying to mediate our friendship but I don't think it's salvageable to be honest."

"Why would she want to try and be friends with that bastard after what his mother said about you. She's lucky howlers don't leave a trace or I'd have sent it to mama and there'd be hell to pay."

"Leave it Draco it's fine, I honestly couldn't care less what that family thinks of me, except the twins that is."

"You're not upset about it."

"I might be later but at the moment I'm more glad to know what he actually thinks. Plus I got you haven't I."

"Through thick and thin, brother. Now let's get to class, papa said Slugghorn has a real talent for spotting students with potential and taking them under his wing. He also practically ignores anyone he thinks isn't going anywhere so Weasley's going to be fuming. This should be so much fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a confession to make: I never actually read books 6 and 7 as they took so long in coming out and I'd spent at least half of book 5 wanting to slap Harry for being an idiot.
> 
> I have seen the movie so I know the major characters and events but its no good for the finer details and, as such, I've been doing a lot of research to try and keep canon where possible (Harry Potter wiki and HP lexicon are very much my friends).
> 
> Its not perfect though, although for most of you it probably won't register, as someone who suffers with occasional bouts of OCD myself I know how annoying it can be and apologize in advance.
> 
> I am thick skinned so feel free to rant away at me in the comments.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely people, I know I was worrying the other day about possibly having trouble writing more chapters, yeah it turns out I was wrong and my muse was simply taking a well deserved rest.
> 
> I have been on a massive writing spree these last couple of days so am posting a second chapter today as a thank you.
> 
> I still have plenty to keep me going over the weekend which is good as work usual means that's a bit of a dry spell for me.

Draco had been right, their first potions lesson had been extremely fun. They had sat at the front of the class, as per Draco's request, and professor Slugghorn had been falling over himself trying to talk to the boys, reminding them how well their father had gotten on in his class, and how grateful he was that Haddy had defeated Voldemort. His skill in potions was apparent, but it was when he challenged them all to make a draught of living death potion that the lesson really got interesting.

Haddy was once again reminded why the wizarding families tended to do so much better in this subject having actually had the chance to practice some of the recipes at home over the summer. He ignored the instructions on the boars, opting instead to follow Snape's notes, knowing the result would be exceptional. Draco did the same but kept darting glances Hermione's way, muttering under his breath that she'd best not be letting the weasel see her notes. He was still upset about Hermione choosing to sit with Ron instead of them. Pansy had mentioned something about jealousy but Draco had simply scowled at her.

Haddy doubted Ron had seen Hermione's notes as the potion he produced was barely passable. Professor Slugghorn bemoaned the fact that he only had one bottle of Felix felicis as the three of them had been able to produce near perfect potions. Haddy joked that Hermione should take it: he'd managed to take on one of the strongest wizards of this century and survived so he figured his luck must be pretty good already. Hermione was going to refuse it but then Draco had to open his big mouth.

"Haddy's right, you should take it Granger, it might help you get the career you want in the future."

"Excuse me, Malfoy, but I believe I received better grades than you did, what makes you think I won't be able to walk into any job I want when I graduate."

"You're a muggleborn Granger so of course you won't have the same opportunities as other witches and wizards so just take it." 

He shoved the potion into her hand and stormed back to his desk. Haddy didn't know what to say that wouldn't risk making things worse he smiled and nodded at his friend before also returning. He didn't know what had gotten into Draco but he would definitely get it out of him before their next lesson. They all had double charms before lunch and then he and Hermione had double defense against the dark arts at the end of the day. He was looking forward to that but he worried what Ron would be like when he didn't have the whole of Slytherin glaring at him. At least he knew Severus wouldn't let him get away with anything.

As they were filing out he grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him into the classroom they used earlier. Pansy followed behind.

"Draco, I'm sorry but what in the ever loving fuck was that all about."

"What was what all about, I don't know why you're both glaring at me."

"What you said to Hermione, that shit was uncalled for."

"I didn't say anything, at least anything that wasn't true, and she deserved a damn sight better than ditching you and fawning over the weasel first chance she gets."

"Look, Draco, she's not fawning over him, as you so neatly put it, she thinks she can change his mind if she talks to him so is trying to salvage 5 years of friendship. Personally I think she's deluded but I'm not going to begrudge her trying. And that certainly isn't reason for you to go spouting crap to her and making her feel like shit. She is still my friend, remember, and I thought you guys got on."

"We do, if I didn't like her I wouldn't have given her the potion would I?"

"Well, no, I suppose not. In fact if you take just that fact alone it was a very kind gesture and would have caused several jaws to drop in shock. But did you really have to say all that crap about her being a muggleborn."

"Well it's true isn't it. Look Haddy, I know you can be a little naïve about these things but what do you think will happen after we graduate? Depending on our grades, and what we want to do, mama and papa are going to be writing letters and pulling strings to make sure we get the best possible position. So will everyone else's families for that matter, and don't look so shocked I'm sure the muggle world is no different. Obviously the higher the standing or better connection your parents have the better chance you get. That's why things like the slug club can be good for people who have a lot of talent but poor connections that may be lost in the masses when you suddenly have 10 people all applying for the same position. As a muggleborn, Hermione is at a distinct disadvantage as her parents have absolutely zero pull. I mean she's lucky she was friends with you so she's garnered some notoriety of her own that she may be able to capitalize on at the beginning but if it wasn't for that she'd be lost amongst the crowd despite, as she rightly pointed out, getting better grades than me."

"OK, I get it, and I'm even more glad butt she's got the potion now, I mean she's probably the brightest witch of our age it'd be a tragedy if she fell into obscurity, but couldn't you have explained it like a normal person instead of sounding like an utter dick."

"I did not sound like an utter dick, Haddy, although I'm sure you'll agree I sounded like Draco Malfoy."

"You sounded like the old Draco, who, for the record, did sound like an utter dick, but I thought we were past that."

"We might be but I guarantee you Weasley isn't."

"Of course not but what has that got to do with anything?"

"Oh, Haddy, it has everything to do with it," said Pansy, "you might have missed it sitting on the Gryffindor table but Draco here spent just as much time shooting looks Granger's way as he did yours."

"And," huffed Draco, "she's a friend isn't she. I was worried about her, what with the fact that she knew about Haddy and everything. I know Weasleys got a temper, I wanted to make sure she was alright."

"Right, and that might have been more convincing if you were equally as worried about Lysander as well."

"Lysander isn't putting himself in Weasleys firing line like some people, draping themselves all over him."

"And there, Haddy," Pansy announced, "is the true crux of the problem. Someone is jealous."

"I'm not jealous, not of that ginger twat, and definitely not in the way you're implying, but as you said yourself, we were getting on before and maybe I'm slightly irked that she hasn't said two words to me before now."

Pansy smiled with satisfaction and Haddy could understand; it was never easy getting Draco Malfoy to admit anything so every victory ought to be savoured.

"You do know that wasn't the best way to go about trying to renew your friendship, don't you," Haddy said, "you were one step away from calling her a mudblood again and you probably pissed off the rest of my house. I expect you to go up to her and apologize for being an arse when we get into charms."

Draco looked like he was about to protest but the look on both Haddy and Pansy's faces stopped him. "Fine but if Weasley starts getting in a tit you're dealing with it."

True to his word Draco went straight over to Hermione as they were waiting to go into charms.

"I'm sorry if my comments were misconstrued this morning. Contrary to what some people may think I am well aware of your talents as a witch and, as such, would hate to see you miss out on an opportunity of employment because your connections weren't as good as someone else's. That is why I wanted you to have the potion."

"Thank you Draco though you shouldn't worry, I already have letters of recommendation from all the teachers and your father has even said he'll put in a good word for me wherever I apply so I'm sorted on that front."

To his credit Draco didn't seem the least bit surprised by that statement and simply nodded before going to stand with the rest of the Slytherins.

Ron, on the other hand, was a different story.

"What do you mean Lucius Malfoy will put in a good word for you! When have you been hanging around slimy snakes enough to get that!"

"Over the summer. I went round to Malfoy Manor to see Haddy and we were all studying together. Lucius told me he was impressed with my work ethic and would be happy to write a letter of recommendation stating such as he knew my parents wouldn't be able to help much, being muggles."

"But you can't trust him Hermione, he's a death eater. He won't help you. He wants to get rid of all muggleborns."

"That's a load of rubbish Ron. There aren't any death eaters now, Voldemort is gone. And they never wanted to get rid of muggleborns; they just wanted to make sure that magic didn't get too diluted with people having children with muggles. That's just basic genetics."

"That's what he wants you to think but he'd as soon as kill you as look at you."

"That's your prejudice talking Ron, I was round there for tea quite a bit and never felt anything but welcome."

"Oh my god I feel like I don't even know you, and after all my parents ever did for you. It was bad enough when you were defending that filthy pouf but this takes the biscuit."

"Ronald Weasley, if I have to tell you to watch your language again I will hex your bloody mouth shut. And, no offence to your parents, but they didn't do anymore for me than act as host."

"They took you into their home."

"They invited me to their home, I accepted. Once there they treated me the same as any of you but it would have been the same if you'd have come to my house."

"Why would he want to go to your house, isn't it in the muggle world?" Lavender asked.

"Of course it is what's wrong with the muggle world?"

"Wouldn't it be boring not having magic."

Draco scoffed, "just goes to show what you know, Brown. Muggles know a damn sight more about having fun than wizards."

"Oh and you're suddenly an expert on all things muggle now are you. Bet you know all about being gay as well now your that fag's brother."

"Enough Ron, I don't know what your problem is. It's not like being gay is some sort of disease, you can't catch it."

"You say that but Harry was perfectly normal before but he finds out he's related to that flaming pansy and all of a sudden he's gay."

"If you're so worried about guilt by association why don't you find some random witch to snog to prove your raging heterosexuality," shouted Hermione.

"Not that it matters, by the way, but I'm actually bi, not gay Weasley."

"And I'm not suddenly gay, I was always gay I just didn't realise it."

"Bollocks!"

"Language Mr Weasley, 10 points from Gryffindor," said professor Flitwick as he came to let them in.

Unsurprisingly Ron and Lavender sat together at the back of the classroom. There were a few mutterings about being ganged up on but they were mostly ignored. No one even batted an eye as the two of them left together when class let out.


	34. Chapter 34

Haddy stood opposite the gargoyle with the realisation that, once again, he had not been supplied with the password to enter the headmasters office. He had often wondered why it was so difficult to see the headmaster of a school, surely they should be more approachable, that there should be some way of contacting him should you need to. He supposed there were always the portraits but could you really rely on them to be discrete. As so often, things were apparently done on the headmasters terms which was precisely why he refused to even bother trying to guess the password; the old man had been dictating his life for too long and Haddy was through playing his games. So he stood, silently waiting for Dumbledore to deign to summon him. Eventually the gargoyle began to move.

The headmaster was sitting in one of his comfy chairs in front of the fire place when Haddy entered.

"Hello there Harry, thank you for coming, I'm sorry if I kept you waiting I'm surprised you didn't try to guess the password."

"Good afternoon sir, I figured you would open the door when you were ready for me. And I prefer being called Hadrian these days, sir."

"Yes, quite, do forgive an old man for forgetting only I've known you as Harry for so long it's hard to change, I believe there is a muggle saying about old dogs and new tricks."

"I understand sir although I had hoped the change in appearance would help remind people."

"Yes, it is quite a change and it's strange to see Harry Potter resembling Lucius Malfoy."

"But perfectly normal for Hadrian Malfoy, I would think. May I ask what it is that you wanted to talk to me about, sir."

"Ah, yes, do sit down, have you had anything to eat, I know it's lunchtime now."

"No, sir, but I'm fine, I had a big breakfast so will just grab a snack before class." This wasn't entirely a lie but his instincts were screaming at him not to trust this man as he had too much control over what went on and wouldn't put it past him to put something in the food.

"Well feel free to order something, I'm sure Dobby wouldn't mind preparing something for you. He is your friend after all and, even though he suffered so much at the hands of the Malfoys, I'm sure he wouldn't hold that against you."

"That's OK but thank you, I was planning on going to see him tomorrow, actually, when I have a free period. I mean, I wouldn't want to be out after curfew now, would I?"

"No, of course not. Anyway tea? No, that's fine, take a seat then. So, Harry, how was your summer, you're looking well."

"It was fine sir, very enlightening."

"Well, yes, quite, although I'm sure you've realised I haven't called you here just to discuss your summer. I'm afraid I've learned of something that could put you in danger and I thought you should know."

"What is it professor?"

"What do you know about vampires, Harry?"

"Oh, um, let's see," Haddy thought of Severus and all the things he and Hermione had learned while researching. It turns out 5 years of mostly sub-par defense teachers left quite a gap in your knowledge. "They have a heightened sense of sight and smell. Though not immortal they do have very extended lifespans. They need to drink a pint of blood a week to sustain themselves and any blood will do until they find their mate at which point they will only be able to feed from their mate. Am I missing anything important, sir?"

"No, that's a good summary. It's the part about mates that I wanted to talk to you about. Did you know Professor Snape is half vampire?"

Haddy was shocked, not at the news obviously, but at the fact that Dumbledore thought it was his place to be divulging that sort of information. He decided to play along to see what he could learn. He shook his head. "No sir, I thought those were just rumors."

"Ah, but even rumors have to have a source, no smoke without fire and all that." 

Haddy bit his tongue to point out that there were in fact several scenarios where you could indeed get smoke without fire but thought this wasn't the right time. "Why are you telling me this sir, isn't something like that private?"

"Usually my boy, but I feel it important to tell you as your life is in danger. You see I've found out that Severus has found his mate and it's you."

"Are you sure sir, I mean I've been attending this school with him for 5 years now without problems."

"Yes, Harry, I'm sure. I don't know how long he has known but I became aware since you came back. Something must have increased the pull, perhaps when the blood magic was removed, but I can see him watching you more intently and I fear he may not be able to hold himself back anymore."

"Oh," said Haddy, aware that Severus's increased attention was likely due to him actively pursuing the man, "would that be such a bad thing sir. I mean I've read that the bond between a vampire and his mate works a bit like a blood replenishing potion meaning that even feeding more than once a week won't kill them. In fact, it's meant to extend your life."

"Yes, the bond formed between a vampire and its mate does extend the life of the mate to match that of the vampire so the mate can be available to feed. You must remember that is what a mate is for, sustenance. There are stories of soul mates among some communities but essentially a mate is simply a source of food."

"But if it helps professor Snape would it be such a bad thing. I mean he's saved my life before, I basically owe him a debt."

"Severus saved you because you're his mate, er, at least that's my assumption anyway, so no debt has been incurred. As to helping him it's a noble thought, as I would expect from you, but I fear it would be too much to ask. You see it is very painful when a vampire feeds from you and over time it can be very humiliating. Severus's father had been greatly in love with Eileen Prince and yet after several years bonded to her it became too much. He was driven to drink and grew to hate his wife and son. It led to a miserable life by all and not one I would wish on you."

"That's very sad sir, I'm sorry professor Snape had to deal with that."

"Quite my boy, but that is why I felt that I should warn you to keep your distance. I should not want Severus to compel you into a bond and as such I will be taking over any detentions that you would serve with professor Snape."

So I'd better make sure Severus doesn't give me any detentions then, Haddy thought. He still wanted to try and work out the headmaster's angle though. "If he's such a danger is it really safe for him to be teaching?"

"On the contrary, he is perfectly safe for any student, any other than you that is, and amongst other people you should still be perfectly safe. It is only the thought of you two alone that worries me as he may force you to do something you don't want to."

"Really, sir, I've always found professor Snape an honorable man and I couldn't imagine he would force me to do anything."

"That may be Harry, but if the creature takes over he may not have any control. No, better to be safe and minimize the time you spend alone with him, if not prevent it all together. That way we can be sure you'll be OK."

"If that's what you truly believe, sir. Now, if that's all, I would like to head down to the great hall, if I hurry I should still be able to grab a quick bite to eat."

"Of course, my boy, of course. Can't have you going hungry now can we. Thank you for coming to see me and make sure you stay safe."

Haddy nearly fled down to the great hall, eager to get away. He couldn't believe the audacity of the headmaster to poke his nose in like that. He wasn't sure what the old man's end goal was but Haddy was going to do everything possible to stop him.

Draco grabbed him as he came down the main stairs.

"Where the hell have you been! You know mama and papa would have my head if they knew you missed a meal. Come on, we'll go to the kitchen as they've already cleared everything in the hall, you should have enough time before defense to eat something quick. By the way if your excuse isn't good enough I'll kick your arse."

"Love you too, Draco and I had a meeting with the headmaster which is why I wasn't in the great hall."

"OK, excuse accepted, did you eat with him?"

"Gods no, I didn't want to take the risk of him putting something in it."

"Well done, I'll make a Slytherin of you yet. Right, food first and while you're eating you can tell me what was so important he had to make you skip a meal."

Once they got to the kitchens the elves, as usual, were more than happy to help. Dobby was very weary of them and seemed to jump every time Haddy came near, he assumed because he resembled Lucius so much without the charm, and he didn't have the time for lengthy explanations so he left it for now so he made sure to give the poor elf a wide berth. He got his sandwich then herded Draco to an empty classroom; the elves basically belonged to the castle so he didn't trust that Dumbledore couldn't get them to tell him anything they overheard.

"Good thinking brother, you're leaning quickly, I'm very proud, but spill, what did that old coot want."

"He told me Severus was a vampire and I was his mate."

"Big deal, we knew that already, so what's the problem."

"The problem is he made me being his mate out to be some terrible torture and basically told me to stay away from him, for the my sake obviously, to the point of promising to take over any detentions I'd serve with Severus."

"Why, uncle Sev isn't dangerous, he would never hurt you."

"I know. We have class with him next, I was thinking of staying back and telling him about my meeting."

"What, no, don't do that! I take back what I said Haddy you're still far too Gryffindorish for your own good."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a joke amongst Slytherins: what's the easiest way to get Potter to do something, tell him not to. Seriously Haddy, you're about as famous for that as your scar. I'm betting Dumbledore is hoping you go straight to Sev. No, we will wait, I'll talk to uncle Sev and try to get word to papa; maybe between them they can figure out what that bastard is planning and give us some advice."

"Fine, but I don't like this."

"Of course you don't, you're Harry Potter. Just do me a favor and disregard all of your instincts on this: whatever you want to do, do the opposite, at least until I hear back from papa."

Haddy begrudgingly agreed before racing to his defense class, he didn't want to get a detention with the headmaster so soon.


	35. Chapter 35

Haddy's defense against the dark arts lesson was hell, although for a completely different way to usual. For once the teacher was knowledgeable and competent and surprisingly fair. That may have been due to the fact that there were only two Slytherins in the class; Draco and Pansy. Apparently only Vince and Greg had actually failed, apparently garnering detentions for this crime if the rumor mill was to be believed, the others simply choosing not to take it, likely having assumed the teacher would once again be shit.

No, the reason Haddy was so on edge was the fact that something was going on and he wasn't allowed to do anything, or at least if he did it could make things bad for both Severus and himself and he didn't want to take that risk.

Draco had already arranged to meet with Severus under the guise of asking relationship advice. It had been overheard by the entire class and had garnered a few sniggers from Ron and Lavender who were now apparently attached at the hip. The upside was, however, that no one could question why they would have a private meeting regarding that, especially as Severus was Draco's godfather; the fact that he would be asking for advice on Haddy's behalf instead of his own was beside the point.

Hermione seemed somewhat interested in what Draco could be asking about, grabbing him for a partner at the first opportunity to try and question Haddy. Emphasis on try.

"10 points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, this is a classroom not a gossip factory, I expected better from you."

Rightly chastened, Hermione spent the rest of the lesson on edge, waiting to attack Haddy with questions, which did nothing to help Haddy's own anxiety. All he wanted to do was go up to Severus and tell everyone else to go to hell but Draco was right, that was probably exactly what Dumbledore expected him to do, so for now he would wait.

Hermione jumped on him as soon as class let out and they were out the door.

"So what was that all about, why is Draco suddenly asking professor Snape for relationship advice?"

"I don't know Hermione, but if I did I would probably not want to talk about it surrounded by portraits that are notorious for listening in on conversations."

"So, room of requirements then?"

Haddy nodded and they made their way. He wasn't too surprised to see Pansy and Lysander hot on their tails. Pansy was quite shocked by how the room worked and said it might come in handy for the end of week celebration Slytherin was planning. Hermione almost got into an argument with her about it but thankfully Haddy managed to intervene in time.

"Ladies, please, we can discuss that later. Can we concentrate on the important things first like what Dumbledore's planning in telling me not to spend time alone with Severus for fear he'd force me to become his mate."

"What, seriously!"

"Is he even allowed to tell you something like that?"

"I'm surprised at you Haddy, I'd expect you to go straight to Snape if you were told something like that," Pansy joked.

"I think Dumbledore did too, Pansy, and I would have but thankfully Draco talked me out of it."

"And that's why Draco made a point of letting the whole class know why he wanted to meet with Snape, very clever."

"So he didn't actually want relationship advice?" Hermione asked.

"Don't go getting jealous now Granger, not unless you actually want to make a play."

The three Gryffindors stood there speechless at that statement and Hermione blushed. "I told you before, there's no point in me making a play, it could never come to anything so it would be stupid to try."

"You don't know that, Hermione, mama and papa like you and they wouldn't disinherit Draco if he wanted to be with you. They may prefer a true pureblood but you're a witch, and a strong and smart one at that, they wouldn't complain."

"Still I know their heritage is important to them so I wouldn't want to put them in that position."

"But what about Draco," Pansy asked, "doesn't he get a say?"

"Of course, and if he said he wanted to be with me I wouldn't say no but I refuse to be the one to put him in a position where he has to choose whether to uphold his heritage or not."

Pansy nodded, "OK, glad that's sorted, don't worry I'll let him know."

"What! No, don't do that!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Of course I will or else how will he know you actually like him. He may be smart but he is still a wizard so you have to spell these things out for him or he'll never get it. Don't try and argue with me on this, Granger you won't win. He's my friend and if being with you will make him happy then that is what will happen. Accept it."

Hermione simply huffed and crossed her arms, clearly recognising a lost battle.

"If we can please get back to the matter at hand," Haddy said, "why would Dumbledore want me and Severus to get together."

"It could just be because he's a vampire," suggested Lysander, "vampires and werewolves have the worst reputation in our community as they can change people. Due to this there is a lot of fear ramped up around them about them secretly recruiting to create armies to take over the wizarding world. I realise now it's a load of bollocks but it was a favorite conversation topic amongst the Longbottoms."

"So imagine the upset if a vampire was found to be working in a school and forming a bond with the new savior of the wizarding world," Hermione continued, her thought process working through a likely scenario, "I mean, especially as you've just 'taken down' Voldemort, you'll be seen by some as a threat as much as a hero."

"Oh joys, that's all I need."

"Suck it up Haddy, it just means you have to be careful and not go rushing in like the bone headed Gryffindor you are."

"Hey!" shouted the three Gryffindors.

"Oh please, you lot wouldn't have gotten into half the trouble you did if you'd actually stopped to think about what you were doing before rushing in and doing it."

"That's true," said Haddy, "but what, we just sit back and do nothing? I really like him Pansy, but I don't want to have to wait 2 years to do anything with him, especially not if the only thing stopping us is some power crazed old coot."

"And who said you'd have to," Pansy explained, "you'll just have to be smart about it. After all you have your family's blessing so there is no real reason not to, except public opinion. So all we have to do is get the public on your side."

"You say that as if it's going to be easy."

"Not easy, but definitely doable. We just need something, some hook, that the public are going to love."

"That's it!" Hermione exclaimed, "love, or more specifically, a love story. People are suckers for that. Two star crossed lovers, on seemingly opposite sides, destined to hate each other and yet somehow drawn together despite the odds only to find true love with each other."

"Perfect, Granger, that's just the sort of tripe we need if only we can get some stories in the paper, especially if Haddy's the one doing the pursuing, up the romance factor, they'll lap it up."

"Don't worry about the story, I still have dirt on a certain reporter I can use as leverage, I mean I'm sure she'll jump at a chance to get something exclusive on Haddy anyway it'll just mean we can make sure she doesn't try to twist anything."

"Plus we can always ask Luna to see if her dad can get some stuff in the Quibbler. I know the paper's reputation isn't much but people tend to buy anything if it's about the boy who lived," Lysander added.

"Excellent, excellent, who knew Gryffindors were so resourceful. This may be easier than I thought. Now Granger, can I rely on your help for working out the seduction process."

"Of course."

"Don't I get a say in this. This is my love life you're planning."

"Of course Haddy," Pansy said with a smile that could only mean trouble, "what ideas have you got."

"Er, um, honestly, I haven't a clue about this romance stuff and was hoping to ask for advice."

"Well you've got it," Hermione insisted, "and I hope you trust that, as your friend, I've got your best interests at heart. Obviously you have final say on everything but I think it would be good for Pansy and I to brainstorm some ideas first, make sure we can try and work out some things that'll be big enough to get the public's attention but not going to embarrass either of you."

"Fine, guess we better leave them to it, Lysander."

The other boy nodded and they started to head out the room.

"If you happen to come across that brother of yours, Haddy, send him up here," Pansy shouted. "He's not completely romantically challenged, and he knows professor Snape best, so he'll be good for vetoing anything that'll put him off."

Haddy agreed and made his way back to the common room to dump his school things before going down to dinner.

Draco sat in the owlery trying to compose a letter to his father; one that would convey the headmaster's intentions without being obvious to anyone who might intercept it. Thankfully Sev had lent him the use of his raven which should minimize the chances of that but he still wanted to be careful.

Severus had agreed with his assessment that the headmaster had planned for Haddy to run straight to him and was grateful to Draco for stopping him. There had been more than a little moaning about boneheaded gryffindors at that point.

Severus was glad of the heads up about the headmaster taking over Haddy's detentions and seemed very determined that that wouldn't happen. Apparently he was just about to come upon a major breakthrough in some new spell he was crafting, one that might help mitigate some of the effects of cruciatus, and that was going to be taking all of his free time for the foreseeable future. As such he would be favoring taking house points from all students and any detentions would be with Filch.

Still his father ought to be made aware of Dumbledore's actions. He was grossly overstepping his bounds as an educator by meddling in the love lives of his students like this, especially if they could theoretically be at risk. The fact that he had not made the Malfoys aware or found out if they had consented to the match was also very negligent and Lucius would want to know to be able to gather evidence of the headmaster's misdeeds. It would be better if he was still on the board of governors but, thanks to the meddling of the old man, that wasn't an option anymore. As if people wouldn't want answers when students were being petrified left, right and center and the headmaster of the school had absolutely no explanation for why it was happening or how to prevent it happening again, as if he would have had to bribe or bully anyone to remove the headmaster when that was going on. Once the headmaster came in saying he'd defeated a basilisk, claiming the work of a 12 year old child knowing no one would believe that Haddy would have been able to do it on his own, of course all those idiots would fall over themselves following whatever the old man said.

Now, however, was a chance to turn the tables and thankfully few held a grudge like Lucius Malfoy. He'd been steadily building a file of the headmaster's wrong doings, greatly increased recently thanks to Haddy's stories. He would also know the best way to counter it. Hopefully he would get back quickly though as he didn't want to test Haddy's patience.


	36. Chapter 36

Friday was the night of the party to celebrate the end of the dark lord. The prefects, at the urging of Pansy and Hermione and the exception of Ron, had gone to the teachers with the idea of having a joint party, to encourage house unity. They argued that to bring the houses together in the future they needed more inter-house activity. A number of staff; including professor Sprout, professor Vector and, surprisingly for some, professor Snape, were very impressed with their ingenuity and congratulated them on such a good idea. Even Filch seemed for the idea although a lot of the prefects thought that was more about having all the students, and thus mess, contained.

It was decided that they could use the great hall, the lower years having a feast earlier in the evening and 5th years and above having a party from 8. They were even allowed to stretch curfew until 11, due to it being a weekend, on the proviso that there would be no contraband and they would stay within the bounds of the great hall. Staff would patrol the area and anyone caught breaking any rules or fighting would be instantly removed back to their dorms and serve a whole week of detention with Filch. The students were overjoyed that they managed to achieve such allowances and promised to make sure everyone adhered to the rules.

Due to the overwhelming support from so many staff, the few possible detractors were forced to stay quiet though professor McGonagall looked like she was sucking an extra sour lemon drop and professor Trelawney was already foretelling a night of doom.

A bunch of students decided to get ready for the party together; apparently word had gotten out about Draco's new obsession with muggle beauty products which had piqued the curiosity of a number of purebloods. Haddy would have been happy getting ready by himself but with threats of a life's worth of hexing if his appearance did not meet family standards (Draco), reminders that Severus would be one of the teachers patrolling so he would want to look his best (Pansy) and a comment about Ron being the only one that was going to be hanging around the dormitory (Hermione), Haddy felt like he didn't really have a choice but to join them. She took charge of sorting out the room of requirements, setting it up the day before and telling everyone that was going to join them to leave anything they would want on their beds so the house elves could transport them to the room. The upper years were given a light snack to tide them over to the party after which around 30 students headed to the 5th floor.

Haddy was immensely impressed with the layout the room took on: each of the students had an alcove with their belongings in, there were changing areas and dressing tables as well as a variety of both wizarding and muggle beauty products and appliances around. There was also a comfortable seating area which Seamus was grateful for having mostly come to find a place to have a few drinks before the party. Lysander's uncle "Algie" had also sent a bottle of muggle vodka saying he was making a start at becoming Lys's fun uncle. Thankfully Ron hadn't seen or there may have been some questions as to why Algie Longbottom, a devout teetotaler, would suddenly send his nephew alcohol and muggle alcohol at that.

"So, Granger, are you going to explain what this stuff is for," Pansy asked, gesturing to all the muggle stuff. Draco had already started to sort through items, herding Haddy and Lys into chairs in front of mirrors. Hermione tried to explain individual products but kept getting interrupted by people lifting up different things until she eventually gave up and told them to just read the instructions.

Seamus and Dean ended up laughing their arses off when Haddy lost a coin toss and had to wear makeup. Admittedly Hermione didn't do too bad a job; blue mascara and dark blue eyeliner brought out his eyes, a little shimmer highlighted his high cheekbones and a bit of lip gloss finished off the look. Draco had insisted that he wear his leather trousers again but with a tight, dark blue t-shirt and dragon hide boots and belt; Haddy knew he was looking good and received a few appreciative looks.

Once he was done he flopped down in a comfy chair with some of the boys who had finished getting ready early and had started on the drinks.

"Looking good Haddy," Blaise said, offering him a glass of fire whiskey, "hoping to impress tonight."

"Yep, although I doubt it'll make too much difference, he's playing hard to get as it were."

"You got your eye on someone at school?" Dean asked, "when Wood came out yesterday I had wondered if that was for you."

"Oh no, Oliver's already seeing someone, at least I'm pretty sure they're still dating."

"Really who?" Blaise asked, ever ready for gossip. Haddy had noticed he'd sat next to Lysander, they weren't touching or anything but they'd received a few raised eyebrows from the Gryffindor lot.

"I don't feel right saying, they're both entitled to their privacy although if they're as serious about each other as they seemed I'm sure they'll go public soon enough."

"So who do you have your eye on, Haddy, Seamus inquired, "I assume it's someone we know if they're at school."

"Yes, but I don't really want to say at the moment, it's a little complicated."

"It's kind of obvious if you see them together though," Blaise said.

"Not at the moment," said Lysander, "I don't know what's going on but Haddy was practically blanking him the other day."

"Really, that is a change, so Haddy, what happened, do we need to have words," Blaise suggested.

"No, gods no, please. I've already got Pansy, Hermione and Draco and I think both my parents, I don't need anyone else. Like I said something's come up to make it complicated, well more complicated, so there is a plan, we're going over it on Sunday, but for now let's just leave it."

"You know I feel a little left out, Pansy and Draco getting to plan something that I'm sure will be interesting and I'm left out."

"You feel left out Zambini, Seamus and I don't even know who you're talking about, at least you know that."

"You'll all know soon enough, as I said there is a plan of some sort."

"I assume it's a Slytherin," said Dean, "can't imagine why else it might be complicated."

"Many reasons, for example they may be younger, or they may not have publicly come out or their parents may be against homosexuals," suggested Lysander, "what's wrong with being with a Slytherin?"

"Here,here," Blaise agreed, eyeing him appreciatively.

"Fine, I get it, nothing wrong with Slytherins," Dean said, "sorry just still getting used to this togetherness stuff, give us a break. You guys seem to have a head start on us."

"Nothing wrong with Slytherins," Lysander said, smiling at Blaise, who returned the smile and put a hand on Lysander's knee.

"When did that happen?" Seamus asked, pointing at Blaise's hand.

"At the Slytherin summer party," Hermione replied, grabbing a drink as she sat down next to Haddy.

"You went to a Slytherin party! And since when do you drink Hermione."

"Yes Haddy, Lys and I went to a slytherin party. And I've been drinking with my cousin for years, Seamus."

"I think there are a number of things you'd be surprised to learn about her Finnegan," Draco said, sitting close to Hermione, "looking good again, Hermione, I'm thinking you should dress like this more often." Tonight she was in a strapless black dress that hugged her curves. She'd straightened her hair and teamed it with some black peep toe heels and what Haddy was considering her trademark, red lips. Even he had to admit she looked good.

"Thank you Draco, you're looking good as well, I like a slightly more undone look on you." She gestured to his slightly mussed hair and half untucked shirt. Draco simply smirked. "OK boys, I reckon we have time to finish these drinks and do a quick breath freshening spell before we need to head down to the hall. I don't want to be late in case the teachers start asking questions."

"Ah, there's the Hermione we know and love," said Dean.

"Just because I have the odd drink or smoke a bit of pot doesn't mean I'm any less worried about getting expelled.

Haddy was happy all of the teachers had come to welcome them into the hall. He'd caught the appreciative look Severus had given him but so did the headmaster, if the twinkle in his eye before his welcome speech was anything to go by. Haddy simply bit the inside of his lip in frustration; all he wanted to do was go up to the man and snog his face off but he knew that would only spell trouble for everyone. He sighed when he caught Hermione smiling at him; he was being impatient and he knew it but that didn't make waiting any easier. He just hoped everyone had come up with a good plan by Sunday.

Hermione went up in the Slytherins' opinion even more as they passed by the headmaster to get into the hall. Apparently he was not only checking people for contraband but also smelling their breath, seemingly paying extra attention to the Slytherins and Haddy's group. As it was they all passed but a couple of 7th year Hufflepuffs were sent back to their dorm, much to professor Sprout's disappointment.

Haddy had a surprisingly enjoyable time at the party. He'd been thanked several times although thankfully not his Slytherin or Gryffindor year mates: the Gryffindors knowing he hated that kind of attention and the Slytherins, who knew what had actually happened, likely thinking he didn't deserve thanks for simply touching Tom.

The atmosphere was very festive and Blaise even persuaded him to dance at one point which he blamed the alcohol for entirely. The only low point was Ron, Ginny, Lavender and Colin Creevey, who had apparently joined their ranks, making homophobic comments throughout the night. They weren't loud and as such were largely ignored, except for Draco and a few other prefects who seemed to take great joy in docking house points whenever they overheard them. The prefects only took a couple of points each time to avoid garnering the wrath of the teachers but, somehow, Gryffindor still managed to end the night at -40 points. Draco was beside himself with glee.

Haddy got hit on a couple of times, once by Zacharias Smith and once by some seventh year Ravenclaw who Haddy couldn't remember the name of. He turned them down politely, saying he was interested in someone else. The Ravenclaw understood but Smith was a bit more persistent to the point that Blaise pulled him onto his lap and proceeded to glare at anyone that came near.

"Thanks Blaise, I didn't realise how annoying it can be when someone doesn't take no for an answer."

"No problem Haddy," said Blaise, dropping a quick kiss on his cheek and wrapping his arms around Haddy's stomach. "Some people need to get a hint."

Haddy became a little apprehensive, "do you think Severus finds me that annoying?"

Lysander, who was sitting next to Blaise, laughed. "Haddy, this is professor Snape we're talking about. If he really didn't want your attention he'd have hexed you already."

"Lys is right, Haddy, professor Snape is worried about how your relationship would be perceived and wanting to make sure you don't rush into anything that you may regret in the long term. The fact that he's worried about you like that is proof that he cares."

Haddy relaxed back into Blaise. "Thanks guys, I think I know that already but sometimes I just need reminding."

"No problem Haddy," said Lysander patting him on the knee, "I'm getting thirsty, I'll go get us some butterbeers."

Haddy stayed on Blaise's lap, chatting with his friends, until Lysander started falling asleep at which point he was unceremoniously pushed off so that Lysander could use Blaise as a pillow, Blaise carding his fingers through Lysander's hair as he dozed.

Haddy made his way over to where Draco and Hermione were sitting with some of the DA members.

"Lost your boyfriend?" Lee Jordan asked.

"Blaise isn't my boyfriend, he was just acting as a deterrent. Pretty sure he's set on Lysander."

"Oh," said Parvati, "we thought he might be the person you were interested in."

"No, unfortunately the person I like is even more complicated than Blaise."

"Don't worry brother, things will work out," Draco said, pulling Haddy into a one armed hug and dropping a kiss on his head, "although I like the idea that there is worse than being with a Slytherin."

"Yeah," said Padma, "turns out you Slytherins aren't so bad."

"I don't know Patil, we can be pretty bad, I just think the rest of you aren't as good as you seem." Draco had said this while leering at Hermione who had the decency to blush at the accusation.

The rest of the evening passed peacefully with people from all houses mingling and Haddy was pleased to see some of the old divides breaking down. The heads of houses came in at 11 to escort them all back to dorms, not wanting to lose any students. They were all praised for their good behavior even Severus commenting that he was surprised he hadn't had to hand out any detentions. 

Draco kissed Hermione on the hand goodnight and he couldn't help but catch Severus's gaze and roll his eyes at his brother's antics. Severus didn't seem to react but he also didn't scowl at him which, as far as the head of Slytherin was concerned, was tantamount to a smile. All in all, it was a very content Hadrian Malfoy that went to bed that night. Yes, in an ideal world he would have been able to snog the face off of the object of his affections but, with the help from his family and friends, he had hope for the future.


	37. Chapter 37

Sunday had dawned bright and warm and Haddy was grateful as they were going to be meeting in the shrieking shack and warming charms only did so much. The shack was the perfect meeting place, however, especially since his parents were going to be coming: it was away from prying eyes and yet close enough for easy access by the students. The upside of meeting on a Sunday was that students often disappeared for hours at a time, holding up in some corner of the castle, so none of them would be missed, so long as they turned up for dinner. For this reason they were going to head out straight after breakfast to maximize their meeting time.

Draco and Pansy had been very surprised at his suggestion of the meeting place but were even more amazed at how the place got its reputation. They were even more surprised, however, to learn that they headmaster had let a werewolf transform so close to the school as it would have been much safer to apparate the werewolf to the middle of the Scottish highlands where he would have been miles and miles away from any sort of civilization.

They had made their way to the shack separately to try and avoid suspicion, each giving excuses for why they might be away all day.

When Haddy arrived at the shack he was surprised to see it was clean, though not as surprised as he was to see his mama and Bellatrix Lestrange sitting down to tea.

"Good morning mama, aunt Bella, what brings you here today. Not that I'm upset or anything, it's just that I was just expecting papa."

"Unfortunately your papa has been busy which is why we've come here instead. Some aurors had come to the farm last night looking for the Lestranges, apparently there had been some reports of sightings."

"What, really, was everything alright? I know that you guys had been staying there with the werewolves to keep safe but I've no idea how the aurors could have found out. I'm assuming they didn't find you as you're here."

"Oh yes, dear nephew, don't worry about us. The brownies and fae had been helping the werewolves bring in the harvest as a thanks for freeing them so as soon as the aurors arrived they opened up a portal for us so we could hide out in their realm. Your grandmother sends her regards by the way, she's very impressed by what you've done for the werewolves and can't wait to meet you."

"Oh, that's good, I'd like to meet her as well although I'm sure Lysander will have more to say to her."

"Yes, that's probably true, how is my dear son, by the way, he writes to me often but I still worry that he might just be putting a brave face on in his letters."

"No, he's settling in well, aunt Bella, and him and Blaise seem to be getting close."

"Zambini," Bella interrupted, "well, well. He'd said there was someone he liked although he wasn't sure if the feelings were reciprocated so he didn't want to say anything but if it's Zambini he likes then I can understand his reticence. Do you think the boy is serious, Haddy, or should my son try looking elsewhere?"

"I'm not sure I'm the best judge on these things but Blaise was very affectionate with him at the party on Friday, no major public displays but they were next to each other all night and Blaise let Lys take a nap on his lap."

"Really," said Narcissa, shock lacing her voice, "as far as I'm aware that's practically a proposal from Zambini; he's never normally that close to just one person for a whole night, especially in such a public setting."

"That's good to know, I'd hate to have to castrate the boy for breaking my son's heart."

"I'll have to warn Zambini then, aunt Bella," Draco said, entering the room with Pansy on his tail, "I have a feeling you were deadly serious when you said that."

"Of course I was Draco, as your mama would be if anyone hurt you." Narcissa nodded in agreement and Haddy wasn't sure whether to be grateful or worried for having such a protective family.

"Shall we get started?" Narcissa asked.

"Just waiting on Granger," replied Pansy, "she's probably just finishing off an essay before coming."

"As well she should, I hope you boys are also up together on your homework?"

"Yes, mama," came the exasperated chorus from the twins which made Pansy grin.

"I'm here, I'm here, sorry I'm late I just had an epiphany regarding our arithmancy worksheet, I realized the last question was a trick question and wanted to change my answer before I forgot. Hello Draco, if you haven't got it I can show you later if you want."

Draco nodded, "thanks Hermione, that'll be a big help."

"Excellent, and thank you as well Hermione, I'm glad to hear you and Draco are helping each other, as I'm sure you help Hadrian as well, I expect glowing reports come Christmas."

"Thank you Mrs Malfoy, and for the record Mrs Lestrange, Lysander and I often study together as well." Bella nodded her thanks.

"No need to thank me Hermione, and how many times must I tell you to call me Narcissa, you're a young woman now and should act as such."

"Sorry, Narcissa."

"No need to apologize, now let us get on with the reason why we're here. Albus Dumbledore has tried to interfere in my son's love life and, as such, has put his happiness at risk. The only reason I'm not currently flaying him alive is because Lucius convinced me it would be in Hadrian's best interest to work things through this with all of you so please, tell me what great plans you have come up with before mine and Bella's wands get too itchy."

"Well," began Pansy, "the plan was to have a public courtship to try and get public opinion on side. If everyone can see Haddy is the one pursuing a relationship, and professor Snape is holding back, then it will go against the headmaster's narrative that professor Snape is dangerous and aggressive. Especially if you and Mr Malfoy come out to publicly back the relationship, the onus will be on the headmaster to prove his claims."

"Excellent plan so far," said Bella, "my only concern is that if we push the old coot into a corner too much then he may begin to go to more extremes and I worry it would put all of you in danger."

"Thank you for your concern aunt Bella, but as the one most at risk I have to say I don't mind. I am fed up with him trying to control my life. This is something important and I fear even if we were to ignore it for now, it would only give him more power."

"Haddy is right aunt Bella, if we walk away we are all but admitting we think Dumbledore is correct, that uncle sev is dangerous which is why Haddy isn't pursuing a relationship."

"Draco's right," Hermione agreed, "he thinks he's got us in a catch twenty-two situation but he's not counted on how resourceful Gryffindors and Slytherins can be when they work together. I've already been in contact with Rita Skeeter regarding an exclusive story on 'Harry Potter's' love life and she jumped at the idea, especially when I hinted that there were complications as the object of his affections was a Slytherin; I believe she was already running headline ideas. I also have confirmation, via Luna, that if professor Dumbledore puts pressure on the prophet to stop the stories that the Quibbler will pick them up and won't be cowed."

"Excellent planning Hermione," said Narcissa, "you would have made an excellent Slytherin. Thankfully the Malfoy name still has a decent amount of pull as well, especially thanks to Hadrian, so we should be able to keep the main story in the prophet, purely for coverage. It'll be handy to be able to use the Quibbler as a threat though, the prophet won't want to risk losing readership if the story is well received. I may look at doing some interviews in the Quibbler, to give the family's view on things, once the story takes off."

"Excellent idea mama, always good to flood the headlines, it'll help stop the headmaster from putting out anything to the contrary," said Draco.

"Yes," said Pansy, "now all we need to do is start the public courtship. We were thinking of a simple note and some specially selected flowers, maybe make the note anonymous, get the gossips working."

"Yes," agreed Bella, "mystery is always good for piquing people's curiosity."

"Precisely, now we just need my brother to write the letter so mama can help decide appropriate flowers to go with it."

"Are flowers really a good idea," Haddy asked, "Severus is a bloke after all. And why do I have to write the letter, can't you guys, you've planned everything else."

"Yes, flowers, Haddy, I know for a fact uncle Sev has never received any so will definitely appreciate them, don't be so sexist as to assume just because he's a man he won't like to receive them. Also the simple fact that it's so unusual will get people's interest, chocolates or something like potions ingredients would be too boring as a first token of affection."

"Draco's right," Hermione agreed, "and you have to write the note as it has to come from you, they have to be your own words. I mean imagine the uproar that would happen if people found out it hadn't come from you, you'd be playing right into professor Dumbledore's hands."

"I suppose you're right," Haddy sighed, "I'm just worried about whether it'll be any good or not."

"Don't fret, son," Narcissa said kindly, "so long as it comes from the heart, Severus will know. I realise it's a scary thought to put yourself out there but if he accepts this then you'll know for sure how he feels."

Haddy smiled and set down to write his first ever love note. True to form Hermione had brought plenty of writing supplies, knowing he would need plenty of paper to write drafts before they could agree on the finished missive. While he was slaving away the others enjoyed a delicious lunch brought by Minty, who had been cleaning the rest of the shack while they were talking: she thought it was unthinkable that Malfoys could meet in such a dirty place and had taken it upon herself to clean an repair the inside of the shack.

Eventually Haddy had a letter he was happy with, sincere and not too over the top. Narcissa took it saying she would craft the perfect accompanying bouquet and would have it delivered some time in the week. Bella also said she would have some of the potions ingredients from the farm put aside so he could send those at another time. Haddy queried how she could be so sure he wouldn't get rejected which caused everyone to laugh. Apparently the two of them were already that obvious which, Hermione explained, was precisely why their plan would work. Now all Haddy had to do was wait: the suspense was going to kill him.


	38. Chapter 38

Monday morning saw Severus Snape sitting at his usual seat at the staff table for breakfast and, as usual, ignoring the inane chatter of his colleagues. Today it mostly seemed to revolve around romantic couples that had cropped up since Friday nights party; why grown adults were so interested in the affairs of teenagers he would never know. He was pretty sure Minerva was trying to goad him by talking about Hadrian and Smith, obviously she and the headmaster had been talking, but he refused to respond. It wasn't any of his business if Hadrian decided to seek out someone else's company, Dumbledore had made it patently clear that he would take action against him should he deem Severus a threat to Hadrian's safety and Draco's recount of Hadrian's own meeting was further proof. He would have to let the boy go, he certainly couldn't ask him to wait two years, he would simply have to deal with his mate finding more appropriate suitors. Hadrian deserved to be happy after all.

There was a flurry of feathers as the owls descended and Severus resisted the urge to cover his food. He knew the magic prevented anything from contaminating the meal but, despite the decades since he had first attended, his muggle instincts still found a way to the surface. Sometimes he hated his upbringing, hated that some of his actions and mannerisms made it so obvious he wasn't raised in this world.

A barn owl swooped down in front of his plate causing Severus to frown. The creature had a letter and a bouquet of what appeared to be purple lilac, almond blossom and four leaf clover but unfortunately it had been some time since Narcissa tried to teach him floriography, the language of flowers. She had been intrigued by the idea that people could use flowers to send coded messages and Severus knew he would be looking up the meaning of his bouquet at the first chance he got. He gave the flowers a sniff and couldn't help but smile at the sweet scent. His eyes unconsciously sought out Hadrian across the hall, the boy had seemed slightly surprised when the owl had first landed in front of Severus but now he simply smiled at him. He wasn't subtle but it gave Severus butterflies to think his mate was sending him not so secret messages. Suck on that Smith.

'Dear Severus,

I know I have been warned against you but I don't care.

I know I have been told to forget you but you're constantly in my thoughts.

I can't help but hope there is a chance, albeit only a small one, for you and I to be together.

I know I am young and inexperienced and so am not yet confident to give a name to what I feel for you. I simply know that I want to be with you.

I know that there are those who are against us being together but those that are most important to us wish us only happiness.

I don't expect a reply, I only wished to let you know how I feel, in case certain parties try to tell you otherwise.

Know, however, I will not give up on you until you tell me to.

Until then I am yours, always x'

Severus couldn't keep the grin off his face as he smelt the flowers again, he thought he remembered the clover meaning 'be mine' and that thought warmed his very soul.

Slugghorn, who was sat next to him, stole the letter while he appeared to be distracted: he wasn't, Severus would have seen the man's movement a mile away, he was hardly subtle, but Severus was quite happy for people to read the note. Minerva had already guessed who it was from if the sour look on her face was anything to go by. Not that it was hard as Hadrian was broadcasting his emotions all over the hall.

"Lucky you, Severus, receiving love notes, any idea who it's from?" Slugghorn asked.

"I have an idea, yes"

"It says they don't expect a reply but are you going to let them know anyway, it seems their affections are reciprocated."

"I'm not sure, yet, if I'll respond. I might just wait and see what they do next."

"Well he doesn't sound too sure of his feelings," Dumbledore said, the letter having moved its way down the table to him already, "maybe his affections will change, especially if you don't do anything about it. Maybe you could even go up to him now and let him know how you feel." It was subtle but Severus could detect the sarcasm in the headmaster's tone.

"I'm not one for public displays, Albus, as you well know. Although this one is subtle enough to be acceptable."

"It's a boy, and a student?" Slugghorn asked, seemingly shocked, "do you know who sent it, Albus?"

"Yes, Horace, I'm pretty sure I do, he isn't exactly hiding his reactions either. I just hope there isn't going to be any backlash from what is basically a declaration from him."

"It's true, Albus," the new potions professor said, "that there are some that would be against a student and a teacher together but if the student is the one pursuing there would definitely be less backlash. Especially if, like the letter said, his family and friends know and accept the relationship."

"Yes, Horace," said Albus, seemingly a little annoyed at that fact, "family opinion can be a large factor but the public opinion, in general can be very fickle and also very powerful. We wouldn't want to risk an angry mob of parents storming the castle if they thought their children were at risk."

Slugghorn hummed and nodded in agreement, conversation apparently over. Severus had heard the warning in the headmaster's words but wasn't too worried. The flowers were proof that Narcissa, at least, was already involved which meant her blessing had been given and Lucius was not stupid enough to go against his wife: most people thought that Lucius Malfoy was the dangerous one but it was Narcissa who you had to be careful of. Black women had been notorious for revenge during their school days, and god forbid Bella backed her. The devil himself wouldn't stand a chance against those two.

Hopefully there was a plan in place. He took a quick look around the hall and saw happy, unsurprised faces on the upper year Slytherins as well as Granger, the newly anointed Lysander Lestrange and the Lovegood girl. A slightly strange combination and not one that would occur naturally; there must be some reason these people knew beforehand and that calmed Severus.

He kept a hold of his flowers as he finished his coffee, he didn't want to risk anything happening to them. Once he was done he took them carefully to his quarters and made sure to put every protection spell on them he could think of. Albus had been eyeing them suspiciously and Severus didn't think he was above finding some excuse to 'check' his gift that would result in their destruction. Severus had never had anyone send him a token of affection before so he wanted to preserve them; the fact that they were from his mate made them even more precious. Like Hadrian he didn't wasn't ready to give name to his feelings yet but his reaction to his gift proved they were strong.

He ended up taking his book on floriography with him to his first class so he could check the specific meaning of the flowers before his class with Hadrian later. He had never had anyone put any effort into pursuing his affections before so he selfishly wanted to see how far the boy would go but he needed to know the true meaning of his bouquet. He also needed to let Hadrian know his feelings weren't being rejected even if Severus wasn't ready to openly reciprocate them yet.

Hadrian was in a great mood all day. He'd been surprised that his mama had managed to sort the flowers for the bouquet so soon but was happy to see the smile on Severus's face after he received it, a smile that only grew when he read Haddy's letter. That was enough of a reaction for now, he knew they had to tread carefully, the headmaster had looked furious when he'd read the letter which could only mean he would try and find a way to stop them or at least turn people against them.

He had exchanged looks with Hermione and Draco throughout the day; they were as happy with Severus's reaction as he was. Apparently none of them were   
being particularly subtle as they kept getting asked if they knew anything about the new defense teachers gift. Haddy simply replied 'maybe' but he was pretty sure the look on his face spoke volumes.

By the time they got to defense, at the end of the day, his face was sore from all the grinning. Severus raised an inquisitive eyebrow when their eyes caught and Haddy had to duck his head to hide his blush. He took a deep breath to try and calm down, it wouldn't do to get distracted and earn the man's ire.

He wasn't the only one at risk of getting distracted as the whole class seemed to be watching himself, Hermione and Draco; people were questioning which of the three had sent the flowers as they all appeared to be unsurprised by it. Haddy wasn't about to complain, it wouldn't take long for people to realise the truth; hopefully if they worked it out for themselves they might be more accepting. That was Hermione's reasoning, anyway: apparently there was some kind of psychology behind it where it made people feel superior about knowing something others didn't. Haddy wasn't entirely convinced but he was willing to trust Hermione on this.

Ron and Lavender had been moaning about it all day but even that couldn't sour Haddy's good mood, if anything they just made him laugh. Ron was convinced it was Draco who sent the flowers saying it was some kind of pureblood ritual, obviously not realising that Severus was actually a half-blood. Lavender was sure it was Hermione, something about her being a teacher's pet, a ridiculous reason if ever he heard one but what more could one expect from such an airhead.

The lesson went by quickly however, he paired up with Pansy for the practical part allowing Draco and Hermione and Lysander and Blaise to spend a little time together. Even Severus had noticed his motives, quietly asking Haddy if he was planning a career in matchmaking when he was doing his rounds, checking on the students' progress.

"I'm not sure sir, I don't have much experience but maybe I have good instincts when it comes to romance."

"Possibly, Mr Malfoy, quite possibly," had been his only reply but in Severus speak that was an emphatic yes. He and Pansy had grinned at each other as soon as he moved on.

Haddy decided to push his luck a bit at the end of the lesson. When he went to put his homework on Severus's desk he asked "do you think you'll be receiving any more presents any time soon sir?"

Severus's reply of "I do hope so Mr Malfoy" had Haddy hiding his blush as he went back to his desk to collect his bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who's interested:
> 
> Purple Lilac - first emotion of love
> 
> Almond blossom - hope
> 
> Four leaf clover - be mine
> 
> I got these from www.allflorists.co.uk/advice_flowerMeanings.asp  
> The meaning may vary depending on the source.


	39. Chapter 39

The rumors grew throughout the week with initial debates about who the mysterious sender was, however a few study dates between Draco and Hermione, where they sat a lot closer than was strictly necessary, meant the general consensus around the school was that Haddy had to be the professor's secret admirer. So come Saturday the environment was set for Rita Skeeter's first article.

******************************

LOVE AMONGST THE HOUSES

It is not often that an institution such as The Daily Prophet pays attention to the romances that happen within the hallowed walls of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. After all, teenage romance is renowned for appearing, growing and dying in the blink of an eye so why would our esteemed readers wish to waste their precious time reading about it.

However, there was a very surprising occurrence at the start of the week: professor Severus Snape, potions master and current teacher of defense against the dark arts, received a romantic token; a letter and a bouquet of flowers.

Now many of you may want to sit down for this next part because this reporter has it on good authority that the normally dour wizard actually smiled upon receipt of these goods. Having previously met the man myself I can scarcely imagine such a phenomenon occurring, neither, I'm sure, can many of you, but it was confirmed by numerous sources including teachers as well as students and even a ghost. As the true journalist I am, I have a photographer waiting to capture the great event should we be lucky enough to experience it again.

Obviously there has been much speculation as to who the mystery admirer could be; with Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy and Hadrian Malfoy (formerly known as Harry Potter for any of you who don't keep up with current affairs). This reporter, however, has been stretching her journalistic skills and has learned of a possible budding romance between Miss Granger and Mr Draco Malfoy. Normally a union between a muggleborn and a formerly outspoken pureblood would be front page news in itself and, of course, I'll be keeping an eye on this possibly scandalous couple closely.

But this would imply that Mr Hadrian Malfoy (Potter) was the mysterious sender. A turn up for the books many would agree as their turbulent relationship has been fodder for the gossips since Mr Malfoy's (Potter's) first day. With professor Snape's history with James Potter (see pg. 4 for further information on SNAPE, MARAUDERS AND THE PRANK WAR OF THE CENTURY) and his known connections with the death eaters this wasn't surprising to any, almost expected, so why the sudden turn of events?

Those of us in the know are aware of a reduced animosity and even a growing friendship between the two since Mr Malfoy learned of his true heritage over the summer. In fact, at a meeting of the Wizengamot at the start of term, the two were seen to be practically amicable with each other.

Was this the precursor to a beautiful romance between two star crossed lovers? Could the thawing of tensions have led to the building of passions within the young savior of the wizarding world or was it the supposed defeat of he-who-must-not-be-named the catalyst for such a surprising relationship?

I make a point, dear readers, of saying supposed defeat as certain parties in wizarding society still refuse to accept the dark lord's demise despite no evidence to the contrary and death eater activity all but stopped. It is this reporter's personal opinion that said parties are more loath to admit that they paid no part in such a momentous event than the fact that they truly believe he is still at large but that is only my opinion and should be taken as such. After all, who would dare say such things about such a pillar of the wizarding world in the open.

This reporter hopes that this new era of peace will continue to encourage love amongst our youth, after all what better sign do we have of hope for the future than that of two former enemies, seemingly on opposite sides of a war, finding love across the battle lines. I wish them both luck in love and, of course, will be keeping an eye on any future developments.

******************************

Haddy was impressed by how tasteful the article was when he read it over Hermione's shoulder at breakfast on Saturday, although not as impressed as she was that Skeeter had agreed to the subtle dig at Dumbledore.

"I can't believe you're actually interested in that greasy git," Ginny spat as she finished the article herself, "you can't seriously think that's a good match. Not only is he a male but he's ancient and half vampire, he'll toss you over as soon as his mate comes along."

"How do you know he's half vampire?" Hermione asked.

"Mum said when I told her about the love letter. She said whoever the poor sod is will be out of luck when Snape finds his mate as he'll be bound to that sucker. At least you won't have to suffer being a walking blood bank Harry."

"It's Hadrian, quite frankly I'm getting tired of correcting you, and will you not spout such nonsense. If you actually paid attention in defense class you would know that the bond between a vampire and their mate is sacred and the blood drinking is a way of strengthening that. It's not as if the mate is at any risk from the feeding as the bond makes sure levels are replenished."

"Quite right, Haddy," Hermione agreed, "I think it's ridiculous how much misinformation there is out there regarding magical creatures although our previously poor show of defense teachers probably hasn't helped."

"What do you mean misinformation?" Ron asked, "everyone knows that once a vampire has a mate they can't drink anyone else's blood so they end up draining the mate to the point of weakness which is why they hide their mate away, so no one can see."

"That's absolute rubbish Ron," Hermione said, full lecture mode engaged, "they keep their mate safe as the bond between them is a soul bond and, as such, means that if you kill the mate the vampire dies as well. Of course they would protect them. But if you ever actually read a book that wasn't specifically required for school you would learn that some of the older relationships had even evolved to include multiple partners, but often only after 100 years or so. If a mate was that weakened how would they still be around after 100 years."

"Because of magic, obviously," Ron said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes Ronald, the magic would sustain the mate to the point of living but not actually allow a person to fully recover because it makes perfect sense." Hermione's sarcasm was so blatant even Ron could register it.

Haddy chuckled. "At the end of the day, whatever relationship I choose to pursue is precisely that, my choice. I no longer care what your opinion is so kindly keep it to yourself."

"Well if your stupid enough to genuinely think a blood sucking death eater is a better prospect than me then you're clearly deluded and even your fortune wouldn't be enough for me to give you a chance," Ginny announced. Haddy considered informing her that she never was, and never would be a romantic interest of his but he thought it might be best not to poke the bear, especially when he wanted people to be on his side in this.

Thankfully most of his other house mates, as well as the majority of the rest of the school were actually supportive, with a number of people even going so far as to suggest Haddy suck the man off so he would be more lenient with marking.

He knew they only meant well but, as someone who was technically a virgin, he found it quite disconcerting to have people comment on his theoretical love life like that. Vince and Greg started sitting with him at meals after that and thankfully the offensive comments stopped.

Draco, Hermione and Pansy all agreed now was a good time to capitalize on the good press and Haddy decided to sneak out that night to Honeyduke's, via the secret passage, to acquire some blood flavored lollipops and some pepper imps which Draco assured him was a favorite of Severus's, the strong flavor helping to counter the food he ate mostly for show as it rarely suited a vampiric pallette. Of course Haddy left extra money as an apology for any inconvenience he caused Mr and Mrs Flume, the owners.

So it was, on Tuesday morning, Severus Snape received his second ever love token and couldn't help but put one of the lollipops in his mouth as he read the accompanying letter.

'Dear Severus,

Although I didn't hear from you after my last letter I like to think it was well received, if only from how few house points you have deducted this last week. I have included a gift to help keep you as sweet for the week to come.

I hope you were as happy about the article in the prophet as I was. I certainly hope you weren't upset about their guesses about who I am, although with your keen intellect I'm sure you'd already deduced my identity.

I may have said so before but I am serious about pursuing a relationship with you and am willing to fight for your affections.

I don't expect any reciprocation at this stage, I know we are still getting to really know each other, but if at any point you feel this is definitely not something you want then please let me know and I will cease in my attentions.

Until that point, however, I will continue to try and prove that I am worthy of your affections, that I truly care about you and want a future for us.

I know you have worried that my affections for you will wane, that because I am young my heart will change over time.

The future is uncertain and, as such, I don't yet feel capable of making any undying vows, at least not yet, but know that this is more than a fling for me. I intend to be here for the long run, and have no problem taking time to reassure you of that.

Remember you are always in my thoughts.

Yours, x'

Severus looked straight to the impertinent brat, sat at the Gryffindor table. He saw the grin plastered on Hadrian's face and couldn't help his own smile from forming behind the lollipop he was still sucking. He saw a camera flash out of the corner of his eye but couldn't bring himself to care. Let them plaster it all over the prophet, he had a gorgeous young man vying for his affections. As far as he was concerned the rest of the world could go to hell at this point; the more Hadrian fought for him the more it proved how serious he was. After all the boy could go nearly anywhere for affection at the snap of his fingers so the fact that he was willing to not only stick around but put this level of effort in showed this was more than a passing fancy.

He made sure to make a copy of the note this time before it made its way along the staff table. He knew the prophet article had been a bit of a blow for Albus, the old coot had likely been hoping to rouse public opinion against him as a vampire but it was always tricky to turn a tide once its path was set and apparently the public was all for a romance between the savior and a former death eater. Even he had to admit the redemption factor helped give it an almost poetic edge.

He wasn't sure which of the group had been responsible for the article but it had been a work of genius, so he assumed it was Granger or Draco. Either way Hadrian had strengthened their position with this latest stunt and he couldn't be happier. It was still too soon for him to reciprocate yet, for the public and for Severus personally, but for the first time in 15 years he could hope for a happy future with his mate.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My muse has kicked back into gear once again so here is a second update.
> 
> Hope you enjoy :-)

It was no surprise that the next weekend saw another story about them, this time with accompanying pictures, Haddy grinning and Severus smiling with his lollipop in his mouth, seeming to confirm that Haddy was the one sending the notes. This article, however, brought up Severus's vampire heritage and, to her credit, Skeeter did a good job in addressing some of the myths surrounding the race even getting interviews with ministry experts.

Haddy queried whether these people truly were experts, his trust in the ministry was still low, but he did admit he liked Cuthbert Higgs, head of the magical creatures registration department. Higgs pointed out that due to their secretive nature, and the need to protect their mates, vampires rarely caused any problems for the wizarding world at large and were in fact a peaceful race, declining to join the dark lords forces even at the height of his power. He also pointed out that vampires were dominant by nature so the fact the professor Snape was taking a backseat in this courtship showed a high level of trust between the two men.

Saturday also saw the start of quidditch tryouts. Haddy had been voted as quidditch captain and he was overjoyed although somewhat apprehensive; it was a lot of responsibility, especially with so many positions to fill this year. Ron had moaned saying that they couldn't trust a Malfoy not to throw the cup in Slytherins favor. It was Katie Bell who stood up for him saying as she was the only one on the team who'd been playing first team as long as Haddy had she was the only one qualified to comment on his performance.

"Don't worry Weasley, the second he starts slacking I will be on his arse quicker than you can blink. I've seen him play through adversity so know exactly what Haddy is capable of and you can believe that I won't let him get away with less than 100%. You've only been on the team a year so you wouldn't understand. If you still have a problem feel free to quit; if I remember correctly it was a close run thing between you and McLaggen last year."

Ron had promptly shut up but he and Ginny had shot Katie dirty looks for the rest of the meeting.

Haddy had made a point of saying that no one's position on the first team was guaranteed and they should all do their best to stay on top form. Ginny had questioned if he would also be trying out and whether he would remain captain should he lose his position as seeker.

"Of course, to both," he replied, "I'm not above anyone else on the team. I just have the unfortunate responsibility to keep this motley crew together."

The tryouts went surprisingly well and Haddy had been happy to see Dean Thomas among the line up. As someone who grew up in the muggle world, Dean hadn't initially seen the appeal of the game but it appeared he was now integrating into wizarding society, though Haddy had a feeling 'The Hammers' would always hold the top spot as far as Dean's sporting heroes were concerned.

Ron also maintained his position as first string keeper; Haddy was fussed either way. Ron may be annoying, especially now, but McLaggen was a complete tool and a bit of a wild card so Haddy wasn't sure how much he could trust the boy when crunch time came. For all his faults at least Ron held the game sacred and would only let in goals because of a lack of skill as opposed to effort. Katie had quietly commented to him that she'd have to work the chasers extra hard to keep the quaffle away from their end and Haddy, in return, had promised to end every match as quickly as he could.

His parents had been overjoyed at the news he had made captain, apparently Lucius had already started bragging to his friends. Apparently he had already booked the time off so both of his parents would be coming to see his first match. Haddy had never had anyone come specifically to watch him, at least not officially, and to have it on his debut match as captain was a little daunting.

Haddy was a little worried as Draco hadn't earned the position as well but his brother said he couldn't be happier. Apparently Draco had turned down the position saying he had enough to concentrate on and wished Haddy luck with trying to juggle quidditch responsibilities, school work and a budding relationship; at least he'd already dealt with Voldemort that year so that was one weight off his shoulders.

Hermione had promised to help him work out strategies and had even started reading the sports books he'd ordered, both wizarding and muggle. Haddy had worried that this might be a bit of a conflict of interests for her, with her and Draco getting closer but Hermione wasn't worried.

"It's not like Draco and I are anywhere near official, we're just testing the waters at the moment. And even if we were, our friendship would always come first; bros before hos remember."

"You do realise you just called my brother a ho, should I tell him you said that?"

"Now Haddy, that is entirely up to you. I'm sure he'd be a little offended by what I said but I think he might be more offended by the fact that you didn't actually deny it. Plus I've got a few more tricks for calming him at my disposal than you do."

"How very Slytherin of you, Hermione."

"I know, I'm leaning to embrace that side of me, it's actually quite fun."

Sunday brought a flurry of letters for Haddy thanks to the article in the prophet. He was surprised to see that a number of them were accepting, even encouraging, of a relationship between himself and Severus, dubbing them a modern Romeo and Juliette. Haddy just hoped they would have a better ending.

He did receive a few not so nice letters, many of which were along the lines of 'what can you expect from a Malfoy' which Hermione instantly burned. She had a few herself after the rumors of her and Draco being an item came out. Haddy had been surprised at the number of strangers who believed a pureblood like Malfoy shouldn't be with a muggleborn. Draco pointed out that, should they ever actually get to the stage of having children, they would still be classed as pureblood as Hermione was a witch so why complete strangers should care that much about his family's future heritage was beyond him.

It was a letter from Remus Lupin, however, that shook Haddy to his core.

'Dear Harry, or I suppose it's Hadrian now,

I was greatly worried when you disappeared over the summer. Being a werewolf I had few resources at my disposal to try and find where you'd gone but I'm glad you were safe.

Albus says that he's not sure of your claims that you've defeated the dark lord for good and I have to say I agree with him. It seems too easy for you to have done it all on your own so I urge you to be careful, both in what you say and what you do. It would not be good for people to become complacent and get caught unawares should he return.

I care about your well being so was greatly saddened to hear of a possible relationship between you and Severus Snape. At first I dismissed it, I know as well as you do that that rag spouts nothing but lies, but those pictures speak a thousand words.

I read the latest so called article and was shocked to hear such rubbish being printed about how vampires aren't dangerous. Just this week Albus sent me to investigate a vampire attack on the continent. A village in France near a vampire coven had had a number of residents killed, their bodies drained dry of blood.

The French aurors had refused to accept that the vampires had been the source of the attack as apparently all of the coven had bonded with mates, and I will admit the bite wounds looked a bit different from other vampire bites I'd seen, but what other creatures do you know that drink blood.

I'm a werewolf so I know what it's like to have an animal like that living inside thi; I'm also disappointed that you would risk your estate by letting a whole colony live there. I know there was an attack there last full moon, I don't remember much as the new wolfsbane potion Albus gets me knocks me out completely although the wolf, apparently, is still able to thrash around as I woke up with a load of injuries again.

I just don't understand how you could kick myself and the Weasleys out of Grimmauld place and yet give those monsters an entire estate.

I fear I no longer know you but trust that I am still here for you, should you ever require my help.

I hope, for your sake, my fears are unfounded,

Your friend, as ever, Remus J. Lupin"

There were so many things in that letter that shocked and surprised Haddy he had to reread it several times to be sure of what was written. He even gave it to Hermione to be sure. They agreed that Lucius should be informed of Remus's finding in France straight away and they would ask Draco to talk to Severus about this 'new' wolfsbane potion; for some reason Haddy didn't think all was as it seemed.

He did reply to Remus, though, trying to reassure him that everything was still OK, Haddy was still the same person simply aware of what was going on more. He also invited Remus to stay with the colony on his estate. Haddy knew it was a long shot, there was likely bad blood between Remus and Greyback, as the old werewolf had been the one to turn him but it was worth a shot. Having been on the receiving end of what Albus Dumbledore considered adequate sustenance, Haddy was worried about the man's health; Remus had always had time for him in the past and he didn't see the point in burning bridges for the sake of it. With any luck the colony could even help Remus accept that part of him.

He knew it was also a bit of a risk with the Lestranges there as well but he was sure this would cause Dumbledore to actually encourage Remus to accept Haddy's offer, if only to try and get a pair of eyes in the colony. It was a sneaky move but he would like to be able to get Remus out from under the headmaster control. He would just have to try and get word to his father first.

Haddy also got a letter from the twins, congratulating him on upcoming nuptials, apparently they were trying to get a jump on the prophet.

They also apologized for the howler their mother had sent. They hadn't heard about it until Percy burst into the store ranting about her disgraceful behavior and how he'd had to spend weeks rebuilding bridges at the ministry after that incident and wanted the twins to make sure there wouldn't be another following the articles in the prophet. It had apparently led to them bonding again over complaints of their family's atrocious behavior so the twins were doubly grateful.


	41. Chapter 41

The end of the month saw the first Hogsmead weekend and Haddy was a little anxious. Although there had been nothing officially arranged, Severus would be one of the teachers chaperoning and he had just happened to let Draco know that he was planning on spending the majority of the day holed up in the Three Broomsticks catching up with marking.

Even Haddy could recognize that invitation and had, accordingly, turned down his other invitations; his patents and Oliver and Marcus had all asked if he wanted to meet up but he'd begged off claiming a previous engagement. They each wished him luck with Oliver joking he was looking forward to reading about how it went in the prophet next week.

So now he was standing in front of Draco's mirror, letting his brother style him for a simple Hogsmeade weekend. He was currently trying on the third outfit choice while Draco observed him from every angle. At least Lysander was here as well so he wasn't facing this torture alone.

They had decided to go into the village as a group; himself, Draco, Hermione, Lysander, Blaise and Pansy. Although they all knew they would be separating soon after arriving, at least with a bigger group Haddy knew there would be someone to talk to should his not date with Severus end in disaster.

Draco found it absolutely hilarious that Haddy could face down one of the most powerful wizards of the century without breaking a sweat but the idea of having a drink with someone in a pub had him falling to pieces. Haddy was pretty sure his brother was also nervous about spending time alone with Hermione, now that they were semi official, but years of pureblood training meant his mask never slipped. He was starting to see the benefit of it and vowed to practice more for the future.

"I just don't know Draco," Haddy said, contemplating his reflection, "I know I wore the leather last time he saw me but are you sure the jeans aren't too casual."

"Look at you, Haddy, apparently you have managed to learn something about fashion in these last few months. However you are wrong, they're black jeans and so just casual enough, this is meant to be a chance meet up remember, it's not an official date simply an opportunity for the two of you to spend some time together."

"I know but I still want to make a good impression. I want him to know I'm serious about this."

"I know, thus the white shirt and waistcoat, it balances out while still being stylish, and those jeans make your arse look great. You might want to wear your grey coat as well, it's a bit chilly today, and wear your black Oxfords. Now, clothes are done, it's time for your hair."

Hadrian groaned and Lysander laughed: apparently watching Haddy's misery distracted him from his own nerves. At least they were all in similar boats, except Pansy who had been moaning about the lack of eligible men at the school. Blaise and Draco were very put out by that statement but Pansy stood her ground; while handsome, they were both nowhere near rugged enough for her tastes.

The unusual group of Gryffindors and Slytherins made their way into town after a quick breakfast; quick because Draco had spent twice as long getting himself ready as he had on Haddy and Lys and so they were running late. Pansy had already left ahead of them and ended up having breakfast at the Gryffindor table with Hermione having gotten fed up with waiting for the boys. Since the party the old house lines had been quickly crumbling and Pansy had been generally accepted by the lions. The usual detractors had muttered under their collective breaths but the rest of the house ignored them. Everyone was beginning to realise that the younger Weasleys didn't live up to the reputation of their older siblings and they were rapidly losing any respect they'd previously held.

The friends decided to head to the Three Broomsticks first; partly because they wanted to beat the crowd and be able to get a table big enough for all of them and partly because Haddy and Lys were still hungry thanks to having to wait around for Draco, not that they would say that out loud, they weren't suicidal. Thankfully the pub was fairly quiet at this time of the morning, the early years especially descending on the likes of Honeydukes and Zonkos. They managed to find a nice booth at the back, away from the door, and Haddy offered to go up to the bar and get everyone's first drink.

While he was waiting to be served he was shocked when two arms appeared round his shoulders, one on each side.

"Hey there Haddykins, fancy seeing you here."

"Hello, Fred, George, not surprising really given it's the first Hogsmead weekend of the year. What brings you guys here, isn't the store going to be busy on a Saturday."

"Managed to find someone to work on Saturdays, ease the burden on us."

"Yeah, it was actually your dad that showed us we could afford it, told us to take a look around Zonkos today as well, guess we realise why now."

"Who's this you're talking to?" a third redhead asked.

"Can't remember if you met him before, Charlie," said Fred, "but this is Hadrian Malfoy, formerly known as Harry Potter."

"Of course, I did hear something about that even in Romania, good to see you again, I assume you go by Hadrian now," said Charlie, holding his hand out to shake.

Haddy took it and returned the gesture, "yes, Hadrian, or Haddy for short, or whatever these two decide to dub me. It's good to see you again after what, 4 years, how have you been?"

"Good, Haddy, good, I would ask the same but I can see you've been doing well for yourself."

"Yes, Haddy," said George, "you're looking very dapper today, got a hot date?"

"No! And don't try and be coy, I know you'll have read about it in the prophet. He's chaperoning today before you ask so I might, emphasis on might, get a chance to talk to him later so can you leave it."

"It appears I've become very out of the loop at the dragon reserve but I won't pry, Haddy, at least not from you anyway."

"Don't worry Charlie I'm sure these two troublemakers will catch you up when I'm gone. What brings you back to England by the way, if you don't mind me asking."

"Actually something you might be able to help me with. I heard a rumor that the dark lord had been vanquished; these two said yes, mum said no so I was wondering if you could be the tie breaker. Even on the continent they are interested in news like that so if I could get it from the boy-who-lived himself it'll hold a lot of weight."

"God I hate that nickname. But as to your question, yes Voldemort has been vanquished and won't be returning. He attacked me over the summer: it turns out I had part of his soul in me but the Black family ring started trying to cleanse it so when I touched him it caused all the soul fragments to rejoin. It was kind of anticlimactic but I can guarantee he won't be coming back."

"That's good to know, I had been getting a little worried about being stuck in the back of beyond, not being able to do anything to help. I'm glad it's all over now."

Haddy wasn't sure what to say so he simply nodded.

"Don't worry about Charlie, Haddy."

"Yeah, he's with us, why do you think he went all the way to Romania in the first place."

"The twins are right, Haddy, and I'm sorry for how the familys been treating you. I always hated all that political nonsense and could never understand why mum and dad were against creatures so much. The only reason I didn't believe the twins over mum is that they're notoriously bad for information, too busy trying to come up with new pranks." The twins nodded in agreement.

"That's good to know Charlie, I had a bit of a run in with Bill before school started and he wasn't best impressed with me. What with the howler I got from your mum at the beginning of term I wasn't sure if you'd be annoyed at me as well."

"No Haddy, don't worry about that, in fact I'm with you on kicking mum out of your house if, like I suspect, she hadn't even asked to stay. She got really evasive when I asked her about any agreement you'd had saying you were another son to her and that she was doing up the house so of course she had the right to stay." The twins scoffed, knowing full well what their mother could be like. "I wouldn't worry about Bill too much either, he's finally starting to see what they're like. He told them he was planning on proposing to Fleur and they started getting really funny about it. Mum even suggested introducing him to some other nice witches just in case he finds someone he likes better."

"Poor Bill, I hope now he understands that I was just trying to give him some advice but I'd just gotten annoyed."

"Don't worry about Bill, Haddy," Fred said, "he'll see the light, so to speak. He's very set on Fleur and if mum and dad keep resisting he'll walk away."

"Yes," George continued, "they're our mum and dad so we love them but, as we said before, we realise they're bigoted idiots and thankfully the rest of the family is learning slowly."

"Most of them," Haddy corrected, "Ron and Ginny are still very much against all creatures, you should have heard what they said about Severus."

"I'm afraid they're too immature yet," Charlie explained, "they still get a lot of their opinions from our parents. Hopefully when they grow up and start thinking for themselves they realise the error of their ways."

"Hopefully," Haddy agreed, although secretly he wasn't so sure.

"What in god's name is taking you so long, Haddy," Pansy asked, sauntering up to the group who were still standing at the bar, "we're dying of thirst over there. Hello Weasley Weasley and I'm assuming you are also a Weasley?" She turned a winning smile on Charlie and held out her hand in greeting, "hello, I'm Pansy Parkinson, it's lovely to meet you."

Charlie shook her hand, "Charlie, yes Weasley, the hair's a bit of a give away. Lovely to meet you Miss Parkinson."

"Call me Pansy, please, and please join us, save you holding up the bar. Haddy promised to buy the first round if that helps."

The twins were never going to turn down free drinks and were more than happy to join the group for a catch up. Pansy made a point of personally escorting Charlie to their table and Haddy had to wonder whether her reason for coming over had been purely drink related.


	42. Chapter 42

Severus made sure to get to the Three Broomsticks before the lunchtime rush, he wanted to get a nice booth at the back should Haddy decide to come and talk to him. He was not anxious, this was not a date, they were just two people who might possibly have a chat if they were at the pub at the same time, and if he told himself that often enough then he might start believing it. He had already put on his best robes; he refused to be too obvious but he still wanted to make some sort of effort. It was a bit of a shame really, years of training and practicing dueling with Filius had given him a nicely toned physique but he didn't want to fuel the gossip mongers too much. There was always another day, maybe over the holidays he could persuade Lucius to let him take Haddy out properly.

Severus shook his head, he was getting far too ahead of himself and needed to concentrate on the here and now. He walked into the pub and managed to slink into the last available booth while some students, who'd also been eyeing it up, got waylaid chatting to some of their friends.

He pulled a book out of his bag and started to read. He knew he'd said to Draco he'd be doing marking but had realised he'd be far too distracted once he got here to give his work adequate attention. That's why he'd been running a little late, he'd been frantically trying to get it all finished before he had to leave and had consequently missed breakfast in the great hall like some foolish third year.

He refused to check to see if Haddy was here yet and set about rereading The Count of Monte Cristo after signalling Madame Rosmerta to bring over a butterbeer and put it on his tab. Only when the drink arrived did he take the opportunity to quickly scan the place; he was here to chaperone after all.

He spotted Miss Parkinson happily chatting to what looked like Charlie Weasley. He wasn't sure what had brought the dragon tamer back to this green and pleasant land, especially with all the border restrictions that had been in place since the dark lords first rise to power, but Pansy seemed to be enjoying his company. Messers Lestrange and Zabini were at the bar deep in conversation, they appeared to have been there a while and were so engrossed in each other that Madame Rosmerta had taken to ignoring their presence. He hadn't seen Haddy around but there were a number of other students at this time of day, including Mr Weasley and Miss Brown who were currently participating in a game of tonsil hockey in the booth next door. He had considered breaking them up but didn't want to get accused of being jealous in the middle of the pub, he would simply have to wait until he could catch them on school property, which he would as Weasley was an idiot, and then he could give them an 'appropriate' amount of punishment. Just thinking about that made him smile.

"What's got you smiling like that, should I be jealous?"

"Not at all," he replied, wondering when and where Hadrian had appeared from and how distracted he must have been not to notice his mate's approach. "I was simply contemplating what punishments I could hand out when I catch certain couples making out at school, but please, sit Hadrian, if that's what you want."

Hadrian didn't need to be told twice before sliding smoothly into the booth opposite Severus and signalling the Landlady for a drink. Severus took a sip of his own, taking the opportunity to check out his not date. Hadrian was looking very nice, his clothes accentuating his newly filled out physique while still being very stylish and Severus suddenly felt underdressed. "You look very nice today, Hadrian, are you trying to impress someone?"

"Always, Severus, always, and im glad to see my efforts, or Draco's really, since he helped me this morning, have not gone unnoticed." 

"Ah, I should have known my godson had a hand in this. Im afraid you were never known for your fashion sense before Hadrian, but I'm sure whoever it is your trying to impress would definitely appreciate your efforts, as well as your honesty."

A light blush appeared on the young man's cheeks as a shy smile spread across his face as Madame Rosmerta brought over his drink. "Thank you Severus, that's always good to know. What are you reading, by the way, if you don't mind my asking."

"Of course I don't mind, it's a muggle book called The Count of Monte Cristo, it's one of my all time favorites, full of intrigue and a large dose of revenge, I often come back to it."

"I'll have to check it out, if you recommend it, it must be good."

"It is somewhat of a classic, no need to rely solely on my opinion."

"Ah but your opinion is important to me, Severus, as are your interests, I would very much like to get to know you better."

It was Severus's turn to blush; he couldn't help the warm, fuzzy feeling he got at hearing such words from his mate, from Hadrian, this gorgeous young man sat opposite him. Severus would say he felt like a schoolboy again but he'd never been lucky enough to experience something like this during his Hogwarts years. Sure he'd dated in the past, he'd had a number of partners in fact, but none of them had ever produced feelings like this within him. They'd all been a means to an end, company for the night as conversation or something more, but spending time with Hadrian like this felt special, like he should try and savour every moment. He looked back over at Hadrian, who'd just received his drink, and couldn't help but smile. "I understand Hadrian and I feel the same, I'd like the chance to get to know you better, the real you, not the legend or whatever tripe they print in the prophet."

"I don't know Severus, I think the daily prophet has been pretty accurate of late." The knowing smile that flashed across Hadrian's features spoke volumes.

"Had they, I had wondered. If that is the case Hadrian I must admit I am very happy to find out that not everything that paper prints is a lie. I will say it must have taken a lot of effort to engineer a scheme like that, I assume it wasn't your work alone."

"No, I'm afraid I can't take the credit for that; Pansy, Draco and Hermione were the masterminds and mama helped with the first gift. But the words were all my own and I meant every one of them."

"I'm glad to hear it. I will say I liked the notes the best, I'm not used to being wanted like that Hadrian so I will admit I may have been a little selfish in not responding, wondering what you might do next to try and get my attention."

"So you always thought it was me, that's good, I had hoped. And no need to apologize, Severus, I know what it's like to want to be wanted and I would never begrudge you that. In fact I would be more than happy to shower you with attention every day."

At this Hadrian scooted around the booth slightly and left his hand on the seat, palm up. Severus mirrored his gesture, moving slightly closer so he could take the boys hand under the table. It was an innocent gesture yet, as he locked eyes with Hadrian, it felt so intimate, as if they'd just drifted into a world of their own.

"The feeling is mutual, Hadrian, I find the more time I spend with you the less I want to be away."

Hadrian squeezed his hand, "I really want to kiss you now." The look of desire in his eyes was burning and Severus had to look away. He rubbed his thumb over Hadrian's knuckles and hoped that was enough to convey to the boy that he wasn't rejecting him. "I know," he said, rubbing the back of Severus's knuckles in return, "it's just annoying that we can't be like regular couples, you know."

"We're a couple now are we?"

"What, er, yes, I mean I thought so."

"Don't fret, Hadrian, I was only teasing you, I'm more than happy that you think of us that way."

"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page, you worried me for a second there."

"Never forget, Hadrian, you're my mate and as such I will do everything in my power to make you happy. Even if you weren't my mate, though, you are still a brilliant and beautiful young man, I count myself lucky to be able to have you in my life."

It was Hadrian's turn to blush, "I think you're wonderful too, Severus. I know I'm still young and you worry about my lack of experience sometimes but I honestly can't imagine there being anyone out there more perfect for me. You're handsome and kind and you've always been there for me, even when I didn't know it. You try to hide it but you're brave as well as cunning, you've sacrificed so much of yourself over the years for little to no thanks. And on top of all that you're smart and witty too. I would have to be crazy not to want you."

Severus swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat. "I'm honoured you think so highly of me."

"Of course I do, I'm not a complete idiot. I hope you realise now, though, that I'm not going away anytime soon, no matter how hard the headmaster tries to make things."

"Me too, Hadrian, I'm in this for the long haul, even if I have to wait for you to graduate, I'll still be around."

"I hope we won't have to wait that long, two years seems like an eternity."

"I only meant before I officially take you as my mate, I would hate to have to wait two years to do this again."

Hadrian smiled suggestively, "good, but I was hoping we could do more than just hold hands. I would really like the chance to kiss you. I know it would be inadvisable to do it in such a public setting but could I come by your quarters again tonight. I promise I won't get caught."

"Not tonight, I'm afraid I'm patrolling."

Hadrian pouted then seemed to think of something. "Is there any chance that your patrol could take you to the seventh floor, possibly along the left corridor?"

"Possibly, Hadrian, although I don't normally go that way as there isn't really anything there."

"I think you might find something there tonight, just try not to come by too late." At that point the Weasley twins, along with Draco and Hermione entered the pub. "I think that's my cue to leave, I don't want them coming over here and causing a scene."

"Agreed," said Severus, squeezing Hadrian's hand one more time before releasing it, "thankfully people have taken little notice of how long you've been sitting here."

"Oh, that's because I cast a silent notice me not spell after Madame Rosmerta brought my drink over. Don't look so shocked I've been practicing I just don't know how strong it is and that lot are bound to realise something's up." He stood up from the table and whispered, "I hope to see you later, Severus," before heading off to see his friends.

Severus ordered some lunch but he could see Draco shooting him knowing looks out of the corner of his eye. He could see the group pestering Hadrian with questions and was sure he'd experience similar treatment from his godson later on. For now, though, he just wanted to savour the memory of the date. Yes, he could admit now that that's what it was; not in the modern conventional sense of course, but still. He'd had his first date with Hadrian Malfoy, his mate, and it had gone remarkably well. Now he just had to work out what Hadrian was planning on the seventh floor later that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another mid week double update, my muse has been working overtime again and I'm glad its managed to work out this way and you guys didn't have to wait for the actual date.


	43. Chapter 43

It was midnight and Hadrian was waiting in the room of requirements for Severus Snape to arrive. He was slightly worried about what the man's reaction to the room would be but it was too late to do anything about it now.

He had walked in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy thinking that he needed a place where he and Severus could meet in secret. He learned that he had to be more specific after he opened the door the first time to what he could only describe as a sex dungeon, the kind he'd only seen before on porn. He'd very freaked out and only slightly aroused and had promptly shut the door to try again.

This time he thought of somewhere where he and Severus could meet secretly to talk, and maybe kiss. When he opened the door to what he would describe as a boudoir, complete with plush rugs, soft furnishings and, of course, a large bed. Haddy wondered if too much of his subconscious was leaking through as he'd spotted some furry handcuffs attached to the bed. Maybe he could practice one day to try and get it perfect. For now he just had to hope that Severus wouldn't examine anything too closely.

Haddy was glad that the room had picked up on other unconscious thoughts and had provided him with a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo which ended up being a good way to pass the time while he waited as it was some time before Severus arrived.

Haddy had gotten to the point where he was worried Severus had changed his mind and wouldn't show up when the door finally opened and the man walked through.

"I was worried you weren't going to show," Haddy said after a moment, marking his place in the book.

Severus, who had been quietly taking in his surroundings, looked at Haddy. "My apologies, Hadrian, the headmaster had come upon me when I first came by, wondering why I was heading this way. I told him I liked to change my routes from time to time, keep students on their toes and he seemed to buy it. The funny thing was I was staring at the door for some time but Albus couldn't seem to see anything at all."

"Oh, really, excellent. I wonder if that's because I asked the room for a secret place for us to meet."

Severus eyed the bed then looked at Haddy, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"To talk, I promise, I know we need to take things slowly, although I do want to do that with you eventually and I think the room picked up on that."

"The room picked up on that?"

"Yes, this is the room of requirements, it's where the DA met. If you walk in front of the tapestry 3 times thinking about what you want the room will provide it, but you have to be specific."

"So because you asked for a secret room only I could see the door even the headmaster was looking straight at it. That could come in very handy."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes Hadrian, never forget that though I do want things to progress even if I insist on taking developing our relationship slowly."

"That's good," said Haddy, cautiously making his way over to where Severus was still standing. "Out of curiosity, how slow are we talking? For example, can I kiss you now?"

Severus's eyes flashed. "A kiss would be acceptable, I suppose, so long as it is just a kiss."

Haddy grinned like the proverbial cat as he came up close and placed his palms on Severus's firm chest. He practically moaned as he flexed his fingers against the hard muscle he found there. Severus, for his part, kept his arms rigidly at his sides, breathing deeply as Haddy stepped even closer. Sliding his hands up around Severus's neck, Haddy looked up at the man through his lashes before slowly moving in for a kiss. He didn't want to move too quickly for fear of spooking Severus, causing the moment to fracture and losing this chance.

When their lips finally touched Haddy let out a sigh of relief, his body relaxing into Severus's, as the man's hands came up to rest gently on his waist, almost as if to steady him. It was heaven, just the gentlest of presses, soft dry lips delicately caressing each other, but for Haddy it was pure bliss. He tilted his head slightly, trying to get a better angle, pulling down Severus's head to increase the pressure. His experience with anything was limited and worried he wasn't doing something right until Severus's lips started to move against his own: Severus Snape was kissing him back.

Haddy's mind was spinning but he still wanted to make this as good for his partner as it was for him and tried to think of his few previous experiences. He parted his lips slightly and brushed his tongue along the seam of Severus's, the man parted them almost instantly in invitation and Haddy hesitantly licked into the waiting mouth. Severus groaned as if in pain and pressed them closer together, his hands tightening on Haddy's waist as his own tongue came to meet Haddy's.

Haddy unconsciously sighed again, opening his lips and encouraging Severus to deepen their kiss further, tongues beginning a dance of the ages as they list themselves in the sensations they were igniting within each other. One of Haddyl's hands wound its way into Severus's long silky hair as if to try and ground himself to this moment. Severus himself had pulled Haddy hard against him as if he were trying to pull the boy inside his body.

Haddy grazed his teeth gently along Severus's bottom lip, pulling gently and causing a growl to rise up from the back of Severus's throat. As if lost in the sensations, the man pulled his lips away from Haddy's, pressing a line of kisses along his jaw and to his neck. Haddy shuddered and inadvertently pressed his body's reaction to Severus's ministrations into the man's hip.

"Like that, did you," Severus whispered against the sensitive skin beneath Haddy's ear and all the boy could do was whimper in response. Severus let out a low chuckle before continuing to press gently sucking kisses along the length of his neck. Haddy's head lolled to the side to give the man better access, his hand that was still in Severus's hair pressing down to try and increase the sensations. He suddenly felt a faint scratch against his skin before Severus suddenly pushed him back, his arms taught as they held him away at length.

"We must stop, Haddy, this is getting out of hand," his breath was coming out in harsh pants, his pupils blown wide as Haddy saw his exposed fangs and understood; he suddenly felt ashamed for pushing so much.

"Sorry, Severus, I didn't mean to push you like that, I hope you're not upset with me."

"No, Haddy, no, of course not. It is my fault for getting carried away," Severus relaxed slightly bringing one hand up to caress Haddy's cheek, "I don't think you realise just how much I want you, my wonderful, beautiful mate. It takes every ounce of my self control to keep myself in check when we're close."

"And here I am asking for more. I'm not making this any easier for you am I."

Severus chuckled, "maybe not, but I came here of my own volition knowing full well you wanted to kiss me and I couldn't resist because I wanted to kiss you too."

"Good," said Haddy, smiling, causing Severus to smile in return.

"It is very late though so you need to be getting back to your dorm, I know it's Sunday tomorrow but I can only let you get away with so much."

"I know and it's such a shame that you can't even take house points from me unless you want people to question where you found me."

"Yes, I'm afraid I'll just have to take extra next time I come across another Gryffindor. I doubt it will be long, Mr Weasley and Miss Brown don't tend to care where or when they make out."

Haddy pulled a face, "thanks for that mental image, although it's sorted out my little problem."

Severus chuckled, "glad I could help, though I don't know if I'd call what I felt little. Now off with you, brat, before I decide to happen upon you in the corridor."

"Oh, and what would you do if you did?"

"Give you a week's worth of detentions with Filch! God I've created a monster."

Haddy chuckled as he left the room, happy he had his invisibility cloak because he knew he'd be grinning like a loon all the way back to Gryffindor tower. He would have to figure out a way to persuade Severus to do that again. He would probably be a bit reticent at first given how close he'd come to losing control tonight but Haddy was sure he could come up with something that could tempt the man, he would just have to get a bit creative and thankfully he had a lot of friends he could go to for to help.

The article about his and Severus's date came out on Monday but didn't actually make the front page. Haddy had been quite happy to be relegated to the society pages but Draco had been incensed: to think that an actual werewolf attack could be deemed more important than two people having a drink together.

Not that Haddy had been drinking in the picture, he realised whoever took it must have been quick enough to snap it before his order arrived and the notice-me-not spell was erected. Normally he hated seeing his picture in the paper but he'd actually asked Hermione if he could keep her copy of this. Photo Haddy and Severus were casting coy smiles and shy looks at each other and Haddy thought the man looked adorable. It was nice that he could have such a memento of their first date, which is what he now accepted it was, and was wondering if he could get it framed.

He had been a little worried about the attack, the paper had mentioned that it had happened in Gloucestershire and Haddy wondered if the colony was alright; he decided he would write to Fenrir that night. Everyone already knew the colony was staying on his estate so he wouldn't be risking any plans if his mail was read. He was pretty sure Dumbledore was at least monitoring what he sent, the downside of Hedwig being so well known, and so most of his correspondence with his family went through Draco.

He was in his dorm room trying to figure out what to say to Fenrir when Lysander came bounding into the room.

"Oh, you are here Haddy, thank god, Draco's at the portrait and he says he needs to talk to you urgently."

Haddy thought for a moment. "OK, I assume we need privacy for this so I'll grab my cloak and use it to come down with you. Tell Draco you couldn't find me up here but you know where I might be then take him to the room of requirements. If I set it up properly I know we won't be disturbed."

Lysander agreed and set about following Haddy's instructions. Draco seemed confused and a little reluctant to follow Lysander at first but after a little reminder that they were family now he begrudgingly went along although moaned the whole way up to the seventh floor.

He was shocked when a door suddenly appeared along the wall and more so when Haddy appeared out of nowhere.

"You need to learn to trust us more, brother, I knew this must be important so this way we won't be seen or overheard."

"How in gods name did you learn about this Haddy, and an invisibility cloak! No wonder you were able to get away with so much."

Haddy chuckled before leading the way inside. The room resembled the study at the manor and Haddy reckoned it was fitting.

"So what's so important that you had to come charging all the way across the castle at this time of night?" he asked Draco.

"I had a letter from papa this evening regarding the werewolf attack. It was on your estate, don't worry too much I'm pretty sure the colony's fine, at least from what I could decipher. You see he was wording things in a way that other people wouldn't pick up on but the one thing that came through loud and clear was there was a problem, a big problem, and he needed to see you right away."


	44. Chapter 44

"Fuck! What do you think this problem could be?" Haddy asked.

"I have no idea brother but I know it's imperative that he see you."

"Dumbledore isn't going to allow that," Lysander said. "Even if you are his son now you just know he'll find a way to block it. Plus it risks making him suspicious, if Lucius is being this secretive then he obviously doesn't want certain people to find out."

"Precisely," agreed Draco, "I was worried how we could pull it off at first although now I know you have an invisibility cloak it shouldn't be too hard to sneak you off the property."

"Getting off castle grounds isn't a problem, brother, what I'm worried about is people realising I'm gone. There's a reason I snuck out under the cloak instead of just walking out and bringing you here myself. I'm pretty sure Dumbledore's watching my movements, probably using the paintings. I arranged to meet up here with Severus on Saturday night but before he could come in the headmaster accosted him, wondering why his patrol had suddenly taken him to this corridor. Severus managed to fob him off but it still begs the question of how did he know."

"Actually it begs the question how and why you were meeting up with him in a secluded room late at night though I fear that is something for another day," said Draco, feeling a bit protective of his little brother, "I'm also curious about what you meant when you said getting out of the castle wasn't a problem but you're right, we need to do everything that we can to avoid raising suspicion on this, the question is how."

"Does it have to be Haddy that goes to your father?" Lysander asked.

"I fear it does" Draco replied, "he would go into any detail, even in a roundabout way but it was clear that whatever problem had arisen, only Haddy's presence could solve. He even seemed apologetic about it."

"I'm not surprised, papa was always adamant that I wouldn't need to do anything in his fight against Dumbledore so if he's saying he needs me to go it must be vitally important though he's probably feeling a little guilty about having to get me involved."

"And even if I could solve it," Draco continued, "the old coot would probably still find a way to kick up a fuss about me going."

"But the Slytherins wouldn't," Haddy said, his mind working through Lysander's idea, "Ron and McGonagall would know if I suddenly didn't turn up, and people would only be able to cover for so much which isn't much help as we don't know how long I'm going to need to be away. But that wouldn't be the case in Slytherin, you could still be gone tomorrow and they would just say you were ill or something."

"And? What are you getting at, papa needs you not me."

"But you and Haddy look very similar," Lysander said, "you could probably switch places at the moment, it's not like people are really used to the new Haddy. Hopefully you wouldn't have to cover for long but it would definitely work overnight."

Draco thought for a moment and nodded, "Your right, I think that might work, short term at least, the only problem is getting me to meet with father."

"That's easy, the shrieking shack, it's outside of Hogwarts anti-apparition fields so if we could get papa he can meet me there."

"Uncle Sev could fire call, if I'm going to be 'ill' then that'll help. Sev always let's family members know if we're unwell and I'm sure he could find a way to let papa know even if the conversation is monitored."

Haddy and Draco quickly switched uniforms, Draco handing over the letter from Lucius he'd brought with him, and Lysander had to agree that the resemblance was uncanny although he hoped Draco would be able to keep his personality in check. They decided to say Haddy was getting a bit of a sore throat, a good excuse for Draco not to talk too much and get an early night. With that sorted Lysander went with Draco back to Gryffindor tower.

Haddy was a little worried as he made his way to Severus's quarters, his brother had seemed almost giddy with excitement at the prospect of seeing inside the fabled lions den and hoped he wouldn't give himself away too much. With any luck all his time spent with a master spy would have taught him a thing or two.

Haddy knocked on Severus's door and quickly pushed his way in when it was opened. Severus observed him for a few seconds before commenting.

"Hadrian, what are you doing coming to my quarters at this time of night and why are you wearing Draco's uniform?"

"Draco received this letter from papa. I don't understand as much as he did but it seems papa needs to see me urgently." Haddy handed over the letter and gave Severus a chance to read it over. "We were hoping you could call him under the guise of informing him Draco has come down with something and see if you can get him to go to the shrieking shack."

"I see, he does make it seem quite imperative. Fine, wait here I'll accompany you out there though I am a little worried it'll seem strange for even Draco to be walking out there with me at this time of night."

Haddy pulled out his invisibility cloak, "don't worry Severus, I've got that covered."

"And all of a sudden a lot of incidents make sense." Severus sighed, "out of curiosity when did you get that."

"The headmaster gave it to me for Christmas my first year, apparently it had belonged to James Potter and he thought I should have it."

"Yes, of course, who else would think an invisibility cloak is an appropriate present for an 11 year old."

"I don't know it's come in handy quite a bit over the years."

"My point precisely, Hadrian, without it you probably wouldn't have been in danger half as much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a fire call to make."

Haddy only heard half the conversation Severus had but couldn't discern anything about a meeting from what was said. He figured there must be some secret Slytherin code though because as soon as he was done Severus started getting ready to leave.

"We'll make a quick stop via the Slytherin common room to let the other students know I'll be out for a bit and it'll help it seem like Draco is back at the dorm. The Slytherins will cover for you as long as necessary so no need to worry on that count."

Haddy simply nodded and tucked his cloak away again as they headed to the door.

The Slytherins were all grinning when they were told Draco was currently holed up in Gryffindor tower in Haddy's place but otherwise took the information in their stride. Haddy garnered a few raised eyebrows when he pulled out his cloak to leave with Severus and wondered whether he'd have a few requests to borrow it soon.

They walked to the whomping willow in silence, Severus's robes billowing as usual forcing Haddy to walk a few steps behind to prevent them from hitting him and giving away his position. Not too difficult really as Severus's pace was so quick he almost had a problem keeping up. As it was it didn't take them very long to reach their destination but Lucius was already there waiting.

"Hello Severus, I thought Haddy was coming?"

Haddy pulled off his cloak to reveal himself. "I'm here papa, don't worry, I don't think anyone suspects I'm gone, at least no one we need to worry about. What's the problem, what's so important you had to see me right away?"

Lucius had merely raised an eyebrow at the sight of Haddy's cloak but refrained from asking any questions. "It's about the attack that occurred last night. It seems Mr Weasley's wards are indeed excellent as they caught the attacker before he could do any damage. He was in quite a state when he came round and is currently being held on the property."

"You didn't hand him over to the aurors?" Severus asked, "I assume they came to investigate as soon as word got out."

"They came to investigate before word got out," Lucius explained, "which would have been suspicious were it not for who the perpetrator was, as it was we were able to keep him unconscious and hidden as they checked the damage. They were unsurprisingly thorough in their investigation, for once, so I expect they were looking for him. They may well come back when he doesn't show up."

"Who was it?" Haddy asked, "who was behind the attacks."

"Remus Lupin."

"What!" Haddy exclaimed, "that can't be, I can't believe he would do something like that."

"I agree with you Hadrian," Severus said, "at school Lupin was never that aggressive but you should bear in mind neither of us really know him that well and our assessments of his character may be flawed. I don't tell you this to upset you, merely to caution you against getting your hopes up too much. This reunion may not be as amicable as you'd like."

"I know, and thank you, but I can't help feel there's something more going on, like that improved wolfsbane that Dumbledore has apparently been giving him."

"Yes, I remember Draco mentioning something about that although I've looked into it and haven't found anything mentioning an improved formula."

"Which is precisely why I need to go and talk to him, find out what's going on. I assume you've tried already and haven't gotten anywhere." Haddy turned and addressed the last part to Lucius.

"I'm afraid you're correct son, we've tried to talk to him to figure out what's going on but he's refusing to say anything which is why we need you to go there. If anyone can get him to talk, it's you. Is there a time limit on how long you can stay away."

"Thankfully your children and their friends have been quite forward thinking in their planning and Hadrian should not be missed even if he isn't back tomorrow."

"Careful Severus," Lucius said, "that almost sounded like a complement. Are you going soft in your old age."

"I have never been averse to giving praise where it is due, I just rarely find anything that deserves it. And less of the old comments, Lucius, I'm younger than you are."

"Forgive me my friend, but you must be prepared to face some ribbing as you have designs on my teenage son."

"Father!" Haddy exclaimed as Severus looked decidedly sheepish.

"My apologies Hadrian, you know you have my blessing. Now, I'll ask again because I want you to be sure, do you want to come with me to your estate."

"Of course, I'll come straight away. I'm glad I always keep my charm on me, things might be easier if I look like Harry Potter."

"Good idea, Hadrian although you may want to change first as he may not be as susceptive if you're in a Slytherin uniform."


	45. Chapter 45

Thankfully Minty was on hand to help, apparently she popped into the shack every now and then to keep it looking nice and, being the intelligent and helpful elf she was, had brought Haddy's clothes as soon as she'd overheard them. Grateful for the time she saved them, Lucius promised her some extra time off and Haddy gave her a big hug.

Before they set off Severus pulled Haddy to one side.

"Please take care when you get there Hadrian. I know you count Lupin as a friend but we don't know what's going on and animals can be dangerous when cornered."

"I know Severus, don't worry, papa is even less likely to let me get into a dangerous situation than you are."

"And yet you still managed to find your way into them over the years, despite my best efforts."

"I'm sorry," Haddy said, placing a hand on Severus's arm, "but I'll be careful this time, I promise."

"Good, but I'm still going to wait up for you anyway."

Haddy stretched up onto his toes to drop a quick kiss to Severus's cheek, "good, I'll have something to look forward to when I come back then."

Lucius and Haddy side-long apparated to Heartstead and Haddy began to worry; he didn't know how Remus would react to him or, for that fact, the rest of the werewolf colony. After all everyone knew Remus was a friend of his; he hoped they wouldn't hold him responsible for the attack.

Haddy was happy they could bypass the usual entry points and walk straight to where they were holding Remus. Lucius had explained they'd commissioned some dwarves to dig out some new underground facilities that were currently being used to house the Lestranges but could be used to help separate werewolves if they started fighting with each other when transformed. Werewolves could fight between themselves, same as anyone else, only they tended to cause a bit more damage than most.

Fenrir Greyback was standing outside the entrance to the facility when they arrived: as head of the colony he felt responsible for the safety of the group and insisted on standing guard. Unfortunately, due to the fact that he'd been the one to turn Remus all those years ago, he had to remain outside as, apparently, things got a little ugly if they were in sight of each other. Thankfully he had nothing but a warm welcome for Haddy.

"I'm glad to see you again, Hadrian, and more grateful than ever for the use of your property. If it hadn't been for the strength of the wards I hate to think what could have happened."

"There's no need to thank me Fenrir, I'm just glad that no one was hurt, well none of the colony."

"Indeed, although Mr Lupin wasn't injured, the wards were designed to incapacitate and detain."

"Really," Lucius asked, "then I think I will have to recommend to the goblins that Mr Weasley get a raise or at least a bonus for a job well done."

"Please do papa, from me as well, I don't know what I'd have done if Remus was seriously injured."

"Then I must prepare you, Hadrian, Mr Lupin is not in a great way. We asked the elves to check him out when we first found him to make sure that he hadn't been hurt by the wards but what they found was highly disturbing. It seems your friend has been subject to very long term physical and sexual abuse."

"What, that can't be, surely someone would have noticed," said Haddy, suddenly feeling guilty that his friend had been suffering and he hadn't suspected a thing.

"As they did with you, son? No, these things can be harder to detect than we would like, especially in adults, and even more so if it has been going on for so long. Think of how well you actually know Mr Lupin, how much time you've spent with him that didn't include when he was teaching, and consider you have no experience meeting anyone else who has suffered abuse other than yourself. There was no possible way you could have realised anything was wrong so you have no reason to feel guilty and don't tell me you're not, I at least know you that well by now."

"I won't, thank you papa, but I still feel the need to try and help. I refuse to let him go back to a situation where he could get hurt again."

"I'm afraid we may not have much choice, Mr Lupin is an adult and entitled to make his own decisions, even if we don't agree with them. If he truly wishes to go back there is little we can do." Haddy looked stricken and it broke Lucius's heart to be the cause of such pain to his son.

"That's why I asked Lucius to bring you Hadrian," Greyback said, "I feel the same way you do, the thought that someone could do that to one of my kind sickens me. Lucius informed me you knew him and may be able to persuade him to stay. I can't help but feel it is my fault, as the one who turned him in the first place."

"You were young and even still you could never have foreseen something like this," Lucius reassured his old friend, "remember, we can't change the past, the only thing we can do is move forward which means doing everything we can to help him now which means talking to him."

"I've also sent a copy of the report to Severus," Fenrir informed them, "the elves have supplied us with some draughts for us but I was hoping he may be able to help more."

"I don't know," Haddy said, "Severus was at school with him and, although Remus never actively participated in the bullying, he and Severus always had a very strained relationship."

"Don't underestimate him," Lucius said, "Severus has always been an honorable man and would not be able to turn away his worst enemy in such circumstances."

"You're right papa, I'm sorry, I should have more faith in him."

"Don't worry, Hadrian," Fenrir reassured him, "that sort of thing comes with time. I have no intention of telling your mate you doubted his character so don't worry on that account either."

"I, however, offer no such promises." Fenrir howled with laughter as Haddy blanched at Lucius's words. "Don't just stand there son, let us go and see your friend, hopefully we can help him see sense."

When Haddy thought of an underground facility he imagined it would be dark, damp and cold or at the very least sterile and uninviting, maybe he had seen too many movies as this was neither. There was plush seating, a roaring fire and a generally welcoming atmosphere. Well apart from the caged areas at the back but given that it was supposed to house cantankerous werewolves that was to be expected. The only one that was currently occupied had a bed, table and chairs and a partially screened area Haddy assumed concealed a toilet. There was food on the table but it was completely untouched, not that that's surprising he thought, remembering his meeting with the headmaster the other week.

Having stayed in the shadows on their descent, Haddy carefully pulled out his charm to revert to his old look before stepping out into the middle of the room to announce his presence to his friend; lucius melting back into the shadows to allow his son space while still staying near should something go wrong.

Remus seemed to pick up on his scent almost immediately, sniffing the air from where he was lying on the bed before sitting up to confirm with his eyes what his nose was already telling him.

"Harry? What are you doing here?"

"I was told you attacked the colony and wanted to come and talk to you, find out why you did it."

"I, I don't, I can't say, but you can't be here Harry, it's not safe, we have to get you out."

"It's perfectly safe Remus this is my home."

"No Harry, you don't understand, they can't be trusted, all werewolves are evil."

"Even you?"

"Yes Harry, it takes a lot of effort for me to control the monster inside of me, which is the only reason I can be trusted around normal people. These monsters just run wild, they'll kill you as soon as they look at you and they will tear your home to shreds."

"That's just not true, demonstrably untrue even. I don't know what you mean by 'control the monster' but you aren't dangerous and neither are any of the others."

"How can you say that Harry, I almost killed you before, it's only luck you survived."

"It's bad luck you didn't take your potion otherwise you would have been fine."

"I still shouldn't have put you in that position and I will never forgive myself for it. Unfortunately it wasn't the first time I hurt someone. When I was a child I escaped one night and killed my mother. It's why I was surprised, at first, that I was allowed to go to Hogwarts."

"Mr Lupin," Lucius said, coming out of the shadows, "what do you mean you killed your mother, as far as the ministry is concerned she left to go back to the muggle world."

"I should have known you were here, Malfoy," Remus spat, "not that it's any of your concern but one night when I was transformed I broke out of my cage and attacked her in her sleep. I don't remember the attack itself but I woke up next to her mutilated body. My father had been away on business and found me like that when he came home."

"Are you sure, for starters it is surprising you cannot remember the attack and secondly there was an investigation. My father was on the Wizengamot at the time and, along with some others, suspected the story. There were rumors of arguments between your parents about your condition so many suspected things might not be so straightforward and investigated. There was no evidence found. Even the cage you used was in perfect condition; I read the report after my father, it hadn't been tampered with. There were also traces of raw meat with traces of draught of the living death on it which your father said he gave you to knock you out when you transformed."

"I know what happened, I saw the body. My father made me help dig a grave in the woods to bury her and some of her clothes to make it look like she ran away. You don't forget something like that Mr Malfoy. Even Sirius knew about it. He'd been commissioned to take over from my father while I was at school, beating the wolf into submission. That was why I was allowed to attend the school."

"But Remus, you know about defense against the dark arts, you must know that can't work."

"What I know, Harry, is that I've never killed anyone since people have been keeping the wolf down and I will do anything to not have that on my conscience again."

"But no one should have to endure that kind of punishment, Mr Lupin, I've seen the healers reports, if it wasn't for your lycanthrope you would be dead from the extent of some of your injuries."

"If that's what it takes to keep people safe."

"That's utter rubbish," said Fenrir entering the room. "You're a smart man Remus Lupin, deep down you have to know that isn't true."

"You!" Remus roared, throwing himself at the cage in fury. "It's all your fault. Everything bad that's ever happened to me leads back to you. You are the reason for all of my suffering. How dare you try and lecture me, I never would have had to go through, through that if I hadn't been like this."

"Unfortunately Remus, I'm afraid you would have," said Peter Pettigrew, coming into the room behind Greyback.


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realised today that its been one month since I started writing this fic so here is another update to say thank you to all, for all your support, it has been greatly appreciated.

"Peter, I should have known a worm like you would be lurking around here somewhere," Remus growled.

"Actually I've just arrived. Snape received a copy of a report of your injuries and thought to contact me. I'm glad he did. It hurts me to hear you say such things but I hate myself more for my cowardice back then. I knew what that monster was doing to you but I did nothing to stop it."

"What do you mean, how did you know."

"I knew because, in the last few years, he never bothered to put up silencing spells, he liked to know we could hear, let us know what he was capable of. Sirius was a monster Remus, he liked to dominate people, to make them submit to him, that's why he particularly liked raping you over the full moon; the wolf always fought back more so he found it more satisfying when it gave in."

"Then how can you be so sure it would happen even if I wasn't a werewolf."

"Because it happened to me, in fact I was his first. He pulled me aside on our last night, at the end of first year, he said a moron like me had been lucky to have been allowed to hang around with you all year and it was time to pay for that privilege. Apparently he'd heard that it felt good when someone sucked your cock so he pushed me down on my knees and shoved it in my mouth. Neither of us knew what we were doing but that didn't stop him from shoving his cock so deep in my throat it made me sick. From then it only escalated."

"What, Peter, I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"Don't be, old friend, you didn't know. I, on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening to you and still did nothing. If anything I would rejoice on those nights as I knew I would be safe. I won't ask for your forgiveness, Remus, I know I don't deserve that, but please don't blame yourself. Sirius Black was the true monster and the world is a better place without him."

"I knew Regulus couldn't have been his only victim," Lucius said, "I'm sorry you two had to suffer so much. We tried to alert people to Black's behavior after we realised what had happened but no one in the school seemed interested. At least now I know why; they already knew and were actively encouraging it. But who has taken over since Black passed, a number of your injuries were very fresh?"

"Tonks," Remus replied, seeming to fall in on himself.

"Remus I'm so sorry," Haddy said coming up to the bars and trying to lay a hand on Remus's for comfort but the man flinched away.

"I'm sorry Harry, this is a lot to take in at the moment and you look so like James, it's difficult."

Haddy removed his charm, "does that help?"

Remus looked up and chuckled, "yes, Hadrian isn't it, its nice to meet you properly, but why the disguise?"

"I thought it might be easier for you to see a friendly face. Can you do me a favor, Remus, and go see a mind healer, I know it did me a lot of good."

"You needed to see a mind healer?"

"Yes although the abuse I suffered at the hands of the Dursley's was more psychological, still it helped having someone to talk to about it."

"I agree," said Peter, "I was lost until I met Tom but he listened and helped convince me that what had happened wasn't my fault and that I wasn't worthless. It's a shame he's on the continent at the moment or I'd get him to talk to you, he's very good."

"Is he looking into the supposed vampire attack?" Haddy asked.

Lucius chuckled, "among other things. How do you end up finding out about these things?"

"That one would be my fault," Remus admitted, "I was sent to go investigate and told Harry, Hadrian about it to try and convince him that vampires were dangerous, what with the stories in the paper involving him and Severus."

"Ah yes, that made me chuckle when I read it," said Peter, smiling, "how are things going?"

Haddy smiled bashfully, "pretty good I think. I know he feels the same way I do but we're taking things slowly, getting to know each other properly first, it's really nice actually."

"I'm glad to hear it," Lucius huffed causing the other occupants of the room to snicker under their breath.

"I have some potions for you Mr Lupin," Fenrir said coming up to the cage, "if you are feeling calm you are welcome to join the rest of the colony, we can find you a more comfortable bed and some good food."

"That would be nice but I'm worried I'm putting you at risk. I'm in no rush to go back to them but they'll be looking for me and I don't want to put you at any more risk."

"Don't worry about that, Mr Lupin, the wards on my son's property are top notch, they won't be able to come in without permission and we have become quite adept at hiding people right under their noses."

"Yes," Fenrir agreed, "it's actually becoming a bit of a sport."

"Well then, if you insist." The cage was opened and, with some trepidation, Remus stepped out. Everyone paused, waiting to see if anyone made any moves. Haddy decided to break the tension.

"Come on Remus, the sooner I see you with a good meal in you the sooner I can get back to school. We don't want them to realise I'm gone now do we."

Peter seemed surprised but Remus merely shook his head and sighed. "Of course, you managed to sneak off the property without them knowing, it almost makes me question the security on that school."

"I question that all the time," said Lucius, "although I fear this time it is entirely the fault of my sons."

Remus groaned. "Please don't tell me Harry, Hadrian is having a bad influence on Draco, he was always quite sensible, I was hoping he'd be a calming influence."

Hadrian laughed, "oh Remus, you think that's bad you should have seen him, Hermione and Pansy planning; it was epic."

"Narcissa did mention something about that, I just hope he can transfer those skills to other areas."

There was a much lighter mood as the men climbed the stairs and Haddy had hope that things were going to start looking up for his friend and former teacher. Peter had said he'd stay for a bit so he and Remus could talk and hopefully begin the healing process.

It was quite strange to see the interactions: Remus weary of the colony after a lifetime of being told they were evil; Fenrir apologetic, practically submissive with guilt, feeling ultimately responsible for everything Remus had endured; and the rest of the colony curious as to what could cause this strange behavior in their leader. He wanted to stay and make sure his friend was alright but everyone insisted he get back, they didn't want to push their luck. Remus promised to write, to let Haddy know how things were going and gave him a hug goodbye.

Fenrir gave him a large box of ingredients, the best from the harvest, as was apparently his due as landlord. Haddy was about to refuse then thought better, Severus deserved a thank you for all his help that night, especially for contacting Peter, and asked for Fenrir to owl them to him instead, penning a quick note. Lucius hadn't looked particularly happy at the werewolf's comment about young love but Haddy knew his father wasn't against the match, just a little overprotective.

Haddy made his way back through the castle to Severus quarters, thankful that the late, or rather early, hour meant that no one was about, even the ghost. It had been a long day and Haddy didn't even bother to repress his yawn as he knocked on the door. Severus opened the door almost immediately, obviously having been waiting up as he had said. Not bothering to ask questions, he simply led Haddy to the Slytherin dormitory so he could get some sleep. The story was that Draco had eaten something that hadn't agreed with him and Severus had been up all night with him which would explain the head of Slytherins tiredness and excuse Haddy from his first class so he could catch up on sleep.

Severus had shown him to the door to the sixth year boys dorm. "Draco's bed is the one at the end, I assume it's the only one with the bed curtains open, unless some boys have decided to spend the night elsewhere."

"Is that why you're only walking me to the door, Severus, you can't punish what you don't know."

"One of the reasons, Hadrian. Now get to bed, you had a long day and you're only excused from your morning lessons."

"I know," said Haddy, yawning, "although part of me was hoping for a goodnight kiss."

"This wasn't a date."

"I know. When I finally get the chance to take you on a proper date we will be spending a lot more time together than that, Draco had suggested dinner in Paris."

"Of course he did. I wouldn't know, I've never been."

"Me neither, it could be a first for both of us, although I'd probably stay a bit closer to home for a while. Is there anything you'd like to do."

"Now is not the time for this discussion, the door is practically holding you up, come on, in with you."

As it was Severus had to lead Haddy to the bed as the boys could barely keep his eyes open to see where he was going. Haddy tried fumbling with his buttons in the hopes that Severus might help but unsurprisingly he saw through it.

"If you can't remove your uniform yourself, brat, you'll be sleeping in it."

He turned his back as Haddy suddenly found the coordination to get undressed, he didn't want to face Draco's wrath should he find out Haddy had even contemplated sleeping in any uniform, let alone his.

"Good night, Severus," Haddy said as he got under the covers, "thanks for all your help today, especially for contacting Peter, that was a big help."

"I'm glad, Hadrian, but we can discuss this more another time, now you need to sleep." He walked up to the bed and gently stroked Haddy's hair. "Sleep well angel, sweet dreams."

"They will be if they involve you." Haddy put his hand over Severus's and placed a kiss on the man's palm before closing his eyes. He was quickly drifting off but he could have sworn he felt a kiss pressed to his forehead as Severus moved away.

Severus was quietly scowling as he was eating breakfast and thankfully that was enough for people to give him a wide berth. The Slytherin 6th years had been very vocal in their complaints about Draco keeping them up last night so no one questioned his absence at breakfast. Poppy had asked if everything was OK and Severus had explained he'd given the boy an ipecac after a dare gone wrong had resulted in him ingesting some poisonous mushrooms; he would be fine after some rest. Mollified, the matron said no more.

Draco, still playing the part of Hadrian, sat at the Gryffindor table, shot him looks of concern but he simply smiled at the boy, knowing he would get the message. It was then that an owl came fluttering down in front of him again, bearing yet another gift.

'A small token of thanks for all of your help last night, you went above and beyond what was necessary and I will forever be grateful for your help.

I figured these would be of more use to you than me. There is more where they came from so should you need more just ask.

As I said, this is only a small token of thanks, I will come up with something better to convey my true affections soon.

Yours, as ever, x'

Severus knew from Crabbe that Haddy was still fast asleep and a quick look at Draco revealed he was just as surprised. Not that a casual observer would be able to see through the indulgent smile that was currently gracing the boy's face, but Severus had known him long enough to be able to properly read his expressions. Knowing where Haddy had been last night he could guess the contents of the chest the owl had delivered without having to enlarge it to see and they would definitely come in handy; Albus had started becoming immensely stingy with certain ingredients since Haddy took back control of his estate so it was good to know he had another source.


	47. Chapter 47

The weeks slipped by without too much to worry about except school work for which Haddy was eternally grateful. Narcissa had done an interview with the Quibbler, as a thanks for their support and to strengthen the paper's reputation should the prophet decide to try and turn against Haddy and Severus. She mentioned that they had been informed about Haddy being Severus's mate and, while initially a little apprehensive due to how young Haddy was, they had been happy that the man was not going to force the bond. When they found out that Haddy had already been developing feelings towards Severus they could be nothing but supportive of the union so long as they took things slowly, although she did emphasize the last part mostly came from Lucius.

Apparently Severus wasn't overly happy with the article, not because of its contents but because it caused him to receive a slew of mail from parents praising him for his restraint in not forcing the bond and saying how grateful they were that someone so caring and considerate was looking after their children. He wasn't used to this kind of attention, at least not positive anyway, and he wasn't sure how to take it.

Dumbledore was secretly fuming about the article as it spat in the face of the idea that vampires were bloodthirsty monsters and his teachings that people should stay well clear of them. Even the attack on the village in France had come to nought. The muggles had performed something called an autopsy and were apparently able to determine that blood loss hadn't been the cause of death but something that occurred after; it apparently had something to do with how the tissue around the wounds looked. Albus didn't fully understand but it had been enough for the French authorities to completely exonerate the local coven. With Lupin now A.W.O.L he was running out of options for trying to prove to the public that these creatures should be avoided at all costs. After he came out in Severus's defense at the end of the last war he could hardly turn against the man now, at least not without reason, and with him playing coy to the boy's affections there was nothing that could be said against his reactions.

With Halloween approaching, Haddy wanted to do something special. The problem was his options were very limited; between gossiping portraits, nosey ghosts and no chance of getting off property again Haddy was a bit stumped. He knew there was the room of requirements but he worried that his unconscious would seep through too much again: he was a teenager after all.

He decided to bring it up during a study session one evening.

"What about the chamber of secrets," Hermionie suggested, "I know you'd have to deal with moaning Myrtle for a bit but surely it's a great place to take a Slytherin for a date."

"What, no!" Draco exclaimed, "you promised you'd take me down there, not Sev, that's mean. Think of it as payment for having to deal with that awful tower."

"Gryffindor tower isn't awful," Haddy protested.

"Oh please, with all those garish colours around its a wonder you can sleep at all. Maybe that's the reason you do so badly in class."

"Then how do you explain my grades?" Hermione asked.

"You're clearly even more exceptional that we realised."

"Draco, just because you're in a bit of a pissy because you weren't able to get your end away like you hoped doesn't mean you have to take it out on the rest of us," Pansy scolded, "Hermione's right, its an ideal spot in theory, we'd probably just have to add a few candles and things to make the atmosphere a bit more romantic."

"Yes and I may need to remove a giant dead snake."

"You think it's still there?" Draco asked.

"I honestly don't know but as no one can go down without me, unless you know some other parselmouth, then I don't see where it would have gone."

"Do you think the room would have preserved it," Hermione pondered, "I mean, I know it's in the belly of the castle but it's been a few years."

"But if it is OK then it's a perfect excuse to get him down there," said Pansy, "all you have to do is ask for help harvesting the ingredients. Basilisk ingredients are quite rare on the market so he won't be able to resist."

"I'd prefer it if it was me he couldn't resist but I know what you're getting at. I'll pop down and check the chamber out next chance I get then I can set up a meeting."

Draco continued to moan about how unfair it was that Severus would get to see the fabelled chamber before him, and that he hadn't even been able to snog Hermione in Gryffindor tower without risking giving the game away. I took a promise from Haddy that he would take him down there at the first opportunity after his date and a suggestion from Hermione that she show him what the room of requirements was really capable of to mollify him. Hopefully Lavender would just assume Hermione had fallen asleep studying somewhere as, from the looks they were giving each other, Haddy had a feeling they wouldn't be getting back that night.

It was a couple of days before Haddy had a free period where he wasn't inundated with homework and he could go for his little excursion. He took his broom so he would have a way back out and his invisibility cloak to conceal where he was going, he didn't want to risk any conniving headmasters from ruining his plans. Myrtle was surprised to see him as Hadrian Malfoy, she'd heard rumors but it hadn't really hit her until she saw it with her own eyes. Apparently she wasn't quite as taken with his new look and was no longer suggesting they spend an afterlife together; definitely a positive if he was going to bring Severus here for a date.

Thankfully the entrance wasn't as slimy as the last time he'd come down, he assumed it was because the basilisk hadn't used it in so long but definitely a good thing. Yes Severus had spent most of his life in the dungeon but that didn't mean he would necessarily enjoy sliding through slime.

The rubble was still there from Lockhart's attack that he had to clear before he could get back inside the chamber itself. It was dusty work and took some time, he was definitely glad he'd come to check it out first before bringing Severus or he'd have been mortified if he'd forced his date to do manual labor. It took some time to clear a path and Haddy was glad he'd decided to come after lunch so he had plenty of time before he would be missed.

He gingerly made his way to the inner door and hissed again for it to open. The mechanism slowly moved and as the door creaked open an almighty smell of rotting flesh leaked out causing him to start retching as his eyes began to stream. He quickly shut the door again to lock in the smell. He briefly wondered if this really was a good spot for a date but then remembered Draco's reaction to the thought that Severus would get here before him: this would definitely mean a lot to the man, even if they barely made it inside the chamber itself.

Pansy had been right though, he would never know where to start when it came to harvesting the carcass for ingredients so he would definitely need Severus's help. He would have to check with Draco what extra supplies to do the work and if it truly was as good an idea as they'd first thought with a rotting corpse for decoration. He had a couple of days before the weekend thankfully, sort everything out. He might even be able to clear a space in the ante chamber so he could set up a picnic spot if they would be busy all day: he knew Slytherins liked snakes but he was sure even Severus wouldn't want to eat beside the decaying and mutilated carcass of one.

He planned to get Draco to give Severus a note to meet him in the bathroom on Sunday so hopefully they would have a whole day to complete the work. He would just have to make sure he got all of his homework done on the Saturday or he'd get it in the neck; from Hermione, Draco, his parents and probably Severus as well. It took some time but he was able to move some of the rubble to make a little alcove not easily visible from the door. He was tired and hungry and in desperate need of a wash, he didn't think Hermione would give him the password to the prefect's bathroom but maybe he could go to the room of requirements.

When he finally came out of the passage he realised why he felt so hungry, the sun had long since set and dinner would have been over ages ago so he decided to stop by the kitchens after quickly washing up in the bathroom.

In the kitchens he soon found Dobby but the poor elf seemed scared of him again so he pulled out his charm.

"Mr Harry Potter, sir, what happened, why did you change?"

"It's a goblin charm, I was given it after I found out I'm really Lucius Malfoy's son over the summer."

"But, but Malfoys want to hurt Harry Potter, they can't be your parents."

"I promise it's true Dobby, I took an inheritance test and everything. I know you haven't had the best time with them before but they've been great to me since we found out this summer. But that doesn't matter really, I'm still the same person, still your friend."

"Harry Potter is Dobby's friend, even though you is not only the great Harry Potter but also a powerful Malfoy, Harry Potter still considers a lowly house elf like Dobby a friend."

"Of course Dobby, you're one of my best friends."

"Oh, Dobby is not worthy of such a great honor, to be thought so highly by someone so great." The poor elf was so happy he was in tears. "But Harry Potter must be careful of his new family's connection to the dark lord, Dobby is worried they will betray you."

"That's not a worry, Dobby, I defeated the dark Lord, he won't be coming back so I'm safe, from him at least."

"But professor Dumbledore says dark lord is still around and us house elves have to be on the lookout for anything suspicious and to tell him straight away if we see anything."

"That's because he's scared of me, Dobby, he's worried I'll become a new dark lord or something," Haddy said, feeling bad about making up such an excuse for the headmasters behavior but he didnt think Dibby would believe the truth; that dumbledore was an evil manipulative bastard. "I won't go dark, I promise, I'm still the same Harry Potter as before, I don't want to hurt people."

"No, that's wrong, Harry Potter doesn't hurt people, Harry Potter is kind even to a worthless elf like Dobby."

"Of course Dobby, if there's anything you need please just ask, remember friends help each other which means I want to help you whenever I can."

"Harry Potter wants to help Dobby, but Dobby is elf sir, Dobby supposed to be the one to help. Does Mr Harry Potter not need Dobby's help anymore."

"Of course I do Dobby, I think I'll be needing your help for some time to come. In fact I was planning on going for a little excursion on Sunday and was going to ask if you would mind making a picnic up for me, something nice for two people, so long as it's not too much trouble, and are you able to go to the chamber of secrets."

"Only if the door is open then elves have permission. But that is not good place to take a nice witch when courting."

"It's a wizard, actually, professor Snape, so if you know his favorite foods please pack them."

"Oh then that is perfect place for courting professor Snape, Dobby approves if Mr Harry Potter can forgive Dobby for speaking so but Dobby likes professor Snape, he's always telling Dobby to look out for Harry Potter and keep him safe."

"I'm glad you approve, Dobby, it's always nice when your friends like the people you do."

"Dobby is happy then, Dobby definitely approves of this match and Dobby will make best picnic for Harry Potter and professor Snape."

"Yes but please don't let professor Dumbledore know, he doesn't approve of me and professor Snape because he is a vampire and even though I'm his mate professor Dumbledore still thinks he's dangerous."

"Professor Dumbledore is silly, thinks all creatures dangerous. House elves only follow to help students but don't like him as he says nasty things about the high elves. Don't worry, Dobby will explain to other elves, they will not tell professor Dumbledore about Harry Potter, especially if you is a Malfoy as well as you is now related to a great high elf."

"Do you mean Lady Aurelia, my grandmother, I met her over the summer. She's very intimidating but she was happy when I said I wanted to go into healing."

"Yes Lady Aurelia is a great healer, very disappointed in Mr Malfoy when he didn't become a healer too."

"Yes, it always makes me chuckle when she scolds papa about it. Thank you so much for your help, Dobby, that's a big weight off my mind, if you ever need anything please just let me know."

"Of course Mr Harry Potter sir, and if you need anything else you just come to your friend Dobby."

"Well I did miss dinner while I was tidying the chamber up so have you got anything to eat."

Apparently the other elves had been listening in on their conversation because no sooner had he said he'd missed dinner than a table, chair and huge spread appeared in front of him. The other elves told him they agreed with Dobby and would never go against him, especially as he was Lady Aurelia's grandson. Haddy was relieved, it was nice to know he had allies in the castle he could rely on and it was one less thing for him to worry about.


	48. Chapter 48

Sunday morning saw Hadrian Malfoy standing in front of his wardrobe trying to decide what to wear for his date today. Draco had given Severus his note the other day and had brought one back in return. Haddy liked the fact that the man had taken the time to write him a reply instead of just telling Draco.

'Dear Hadrian,

Thank you for the kind invitation to visit the chamber of secrets with you. As a proud Slytherin the idea of walking those hallowed halls is a dream come true and I am eternally grateful for having the chance.

The fact that I am also able to harvest fresh basilisk parts is an added bonus, not a normal date I grant but it shows his well you know me; as much as dinner with you in Paris would be nice this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I will be in the bathroom you said at 10am on Sunday and look forward to our day together.

Yours, Severus Snape.'

Haddy had already put a preservation charm on it and carefully placed it in his trunk. Now he simply had added pressure of what to wear to try and impress a date when you knew you were going to get very messy.

He'd asked Draco about any tools they might need, he in turn had got on to their parents who had promptly sent two sets of top of the line kits, just to be on the safe side. Haddy wasn't completely sure what some of the instruments did, having always used the ingredients in the stores so this was going to be a big learning experience for him.

Deciding black would probably be a good place to go, if there was the chance that bodily fluids would be flying everywhere, and something comfortable to work in. He packed some trousers and a shirt separately so he could change before they ate. Shrinking down his supplies to fit in his bag and grabbing his invisibility cloak he slipped his school robe on over his clothes and went to the entrance.

"Going anywhere nice Haddy?" Seamus called from his seat by the fire.

"Just going to find somewhere quiet to study," Haddy replied, gesturing to his bag.

"You need your broom for studying," Lavender questioned.

"Yeah, I'm going over a book on healing that my grandmother gave me and I was going to see if I could find some of the plants it lists in there."

"Why in gods name are you studying a book on healing," Ron exclaimed, "I thought you were going to become an auror or has that changed as well now."

"Actually, yeah it has. Apparently my elven blood gives me an affinity for healing and when I asked Lady Aurelia about it, saying I was considering it as a career, and she was ecstatic, at least as far as she's concerned anyway. She gave me this book and now I don't want to disappoint her."

Lysander shivered at the thought. "God no! I met her once and I think I'd rather face Snape than Lady Aurelia."

Haddy nodded and was grateful that was more than enough for his housemates to let him go without further question. Lysander was right about nobody wanting to disappoint Lady Aurelia, he knew how she interacted with Lucius and wanted to stay in her good books which is why he'd already read through the book once and was hoping to go through it at least once more before the Christmas break. Thankfully he now had plenty of time to stash his uniform somewhere and make his way to the chamber under his cloak; he didn't want to risk the old coot finding out his plans for the day and trying to mess them up.

Severus was unsurprisingly prompt for which Haddy was grateful; the nerves were starting to get to him again. He knew Severus had said this was basically an ideal date for him but Haddy couldn't help but worry things wouldn't live up to his expectations.

"Good morning Hadrian, what brings us to this wretched part of the castle on this fine day."

Hadrian just smiled and crouched down, staring at the snake carving before whispering open. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw Severus shudder before his face turned to a look of pure shock as the entrance to the chamber opened.

"It was hidden in a girls bathroom all along, how sneaky."

"Well I don't know whether it was always a girls bathroom but definitely not somewhere you would think to look."

"And how, pray tell, do we get down?" Severus asked, peering down the hole.

"Well Ron and I slid down the first time but it was quite slimy. It's not so bad now, probably because it hasn't been used for years, but I brought my broom, figured that way we would have a way out as well."

"Congratulations, Hadrian, you are capable of forward thinking, I hope you can apply to your lessons as well."

"You know full well I have been," said Haddy, getting his things ready. "Now how are you at flying?"

"Abysmal I'm afraid."

"Guess you'll just have to get on behind me and hold on tight."

Severus gulped and looked back down the tunnel, obviously weighing his options. "I guess I don't really have a choice, very well then."

He still didn't look thrilled as Haddy mounted his firebolt and hooked his bag onto the handle at the front and lowered the broom to make it easier for Severus to mount. The man wearily hooked his leg over and carefully sat down. The broom jolted under the added weight and Severus grabbed Haddy round his waist in shock.

"That's it Severus, hold on tight, I'll get us down quickly don't worry."

"Not too quickly, I've seen you fly remember: no stunts."

"Don't worry Severus, I wouldn't do that to you, not in this enclosed space anyway."

"Not ever! Not that I'll be coming on a broom with you again if I can help it."

"That's a shame, I think I quite like you holding on to me like this."

Severus hesitated a second before scooting closer and holding Haddy a little tighter. Haddy was glad the way was dark so Severus couldn't see him grinning like a loon. He'd have to go carefully if he wanted to reassure the man enough to have any hope of doing this again: something he wanted very much.

The ante chamber was pitch black when they landed and Haddy quickly cast Lumos to help Severus find his equilibrium; apparently flying really through him off.

"So can I assume you know where you're going around here," Severus asked as Haddy lit some torches he'd placed around.

"Yes but we'll need to get these out first." Haddy fished the two kits out of his bag and enlarged them.

"Very nice," said Severus, admiring the contents of the kits, "I'll probably still use my own knives but a lot of the rest could come in handy; you really have planned this, I'm impressed."

"We'll definitely need the air filter, I came down the other day to check things out and couldn't even open the inner doors because of the smell."

"Yes, I'm afraid over three years will do that to a carcass, even down here. These masks will help though; it's not the first time I've been in this situation if you hadn't guessed. I'll cast a two way communication charm on them so we will still be able to talk to each other when we get in the room."

"That's good, I'd definitely miss the sound of your voice if we had to spend all that time working in silence."

Severus blushed but still managed to sound sneaky when he said, "I'll need some way to tell you what to do. I can't risk you ruining perfectly good potions ingredients by leaving you to work on your own: I doubt you have any idea what you're doing."

"Not in the slightest which is part of the reason I asked you to come."

"Only part?"

"Of course. I want to spend time with you Severus, the fact that we can do something you want to do and possibly get you some rare ingredients while we're at it then that's a bonus."

"Oh," was all Severus said before putting his mask on and motioning for Haddy to lead the way.

Haddy was happy to leave the conversation there, his nerves had come back now they were nearing the main event. Severus had said he'd done this before but Haddy wasn't completely sure what the state of things would be behind the main door. He hissed again and the door creaked open. He quickly put his own mask on before the smell overpowered him, allowing Severus to enter the room ahead of him.

The torches inside the chamber had come on as Severus entered but he hadn't walked in very far before he stopped and stared.

"Yeah, its quite impressive," Haddy said coming up next to him.

"Quite impressive? Hadrian I believe that may be the understatement of the century. I don't know which to admire more, the hallowed halls or the 40ft creature you apparently managed to kill when you were 12."

"Yeah, well, I had a lot of help from Fawkes."

Severus sighed, "you really are modest aren't you? You do realise it would be impressive for a fully trained adult to take on a creature like this, practically alone, let alone a child. If you ever had a reason to brag, it is now."

Haddy simply shrugged, "I never really saw the point of bragging. I wasn't doing it for fame or glory, at the time I was simply fighting for my life."

"And to think I used to think you actively sought renown. I apologize, Hadrian, for all those times I scorned you for it, especially as you some aspects were apparently deserved."

"Thank you Severus but it's a little strange to receive all this praise from you, especially when I don't feel like I did anything special."

"Alright, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. Let us begin with the task of harvesting, it is a sizable creature and will take some time."

They worked efficiently, Severus taking the time to explain each step to Hadrian. He magically sliced the beast into more manageable chunks, putting strong preservation spells on the ones they weren't currently working to prevent further decomposition.

The scales and skin had to be removed manually to prevent magical contamination so it was a time consuming process. Severus suggested bringing all the Slytherins down to help them but Haddy wasn't so sure.

"I don't know, a part of me wants to keep this place just for us."

"Didn't you promise Draco you would bring him here?"

"Well yes, but that would only have to be once and its not the entirety of Slytherin."

"That would also likely be once and it would make harvesting much quicker."

"Precisely, whereas if its just us we'll have to keep coming back. Do you honestly think that I'd give up an opportunity like that."

"Hadrian you don't need an excuse like that to spend time with me, I am more than happy to just be with you. In fact as interesting an experience as this is I find there are much more enjoyable ways we could be spending our time." He walked up to Haddy and stroked his arm to emphasize his point.

"That's true, these masks are definitely not ideal for kissing."

"Quite, so how about we get the harvesting done as soon as possible, which might mean some extra people coming once but you will be beloved amongst all of slytherin for life. Once the carcass has been cleared we can clean up this space and have it as our private sanctuary."

Haddy grinned, "now that's a persuasive argument. Fine let's do what we can today and arrange a time when we can bring people down to finish it. The upside is no one can get down without me and I can close the doors up as well so even if people knew where we were they wouldn't be able to enter."

"That's handy, although I noticed you didn't close the door behind us."

"No, the house elves are bringing us a picnic for when we're done but even they can't get down when the doors are closed."

"That's good, although are you sure it's a good idea to use the elves, I'm slightly concerned that they might go to the headmaster."

"Don't worry, I already checked that. Apparently they are more scared of Lady Aurelia than the old man."

"Smart creatures. Now let us continue, I want to get a decent amount harvested before we enjoy our meal."

They worked at a slightly quicker pace after that and were able to gather a large supply of skin and scales as well as teeth. Severus was slightly disappointed the eyes had been ruined as they were a very rare ingredient but said he could make do with the large venom sacs instead; a job he did himself and something he insisted had to be done before anyone else was brought down to help them.


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little smut warning for this chapter, they don't go far but their relationship does start to progress a bit, but it doesn't happen till towards the end.

"So what are you going to do with all those ingredients?" Haddy asked. They had finished with the head and three other sections and felt that was enough for the day. They were currently burning the rotted flesh to clean the bones, which had the added bonus of cleaning the rank smell from the air. This meant they'd been able to remove their masks which Haddy was very grateful for as he'd started to feel a bit claustrophobic.

"What am I going to do? As the only one currently with access to these rooms, and the person who slayed the beast, they are entirely your ingredients Hadrian."

"That's not fair, I wouldn't have been able to do anything with them without your help, hell I don't know what to do with them now, so you may as well keep all of them."

"I can't do that Hadrian, these parts are very valuable. Even if you don't use them you can sell them, though I would advise doing it in stages, you wouldn't want to flood the market and risk reducing their value."

"See, I don't know anything about any of that, and I certainly don't have the time to learn. You may as well take it all, after all you did most of the work."

"Yes Hadrian, because killing this thing was nothing. Not to mention what your family, let alone anyone else, would do to me should they find out I took everything."

"Fine, but I accept no more than 50% and given that you will be making the deals I expect you to take a 10% brokers fee upfront."

"Acceptable, but you are the one to explain your reasoning to your parents."

"If the parts are so valuable though, do you really want the other students to come here and help? I mean, they're Slytherins so won't they want a cut?"

"I knew you were not incapable of learning things. My reasoning was using anything that the students harvest for the schools stores which should keep the governors happy and is an excellent excuse for not allowing the students a share. They will, of course, take some small bits anyway but it will be far less if they think they have to be sneaky."

"And now I understand why Slytherins tend to be so good at business."

"And I understand why Gryffindors tend to be so bad. You do know I would have happily taken it all should I not have feared for my life if your father found out."

"Or worse, mama. But still, if you had access to such a fortune they couldn't deny your ability to keep me even if Dumbledore found some way to freeze your accounts."

Severus looked at Haddy with a mix of shock and admiration. "Fine, I accept your premises, and may have to come down here once more before we bring the students. They will accept me having dealt with the head separately due to how deadly the teeth and venom are but I don't want them suspecting just how big this thing was."

"But I thought you said it was mine?"

"Yes, but there are those, possibly the headmaster, who will argue that it belonged to one of the founders and, thus, is property of the castle. You are definitely entitled to a share for having slain it but they will want a cut as well. If they think they are already receiving half then they won't complain as you could likely ask for more. We just have to make them think that whatever they are getting is actually half."

"You're amazing, you know that don't you. There is no way I could do this without you."

Severus actually blushed under such praise. "Yes, well, I think this is a good place to stop for today, especially as you mentioned a picnic. We should probably clean ourselves up before we eat."

Haddy showed him where he had found the underground river and, after cleaning his hands and face, left Severus to it saying he was going to close the passage to make sure they had their privacy. He also took the opportunity to change into his nice clothes and check on the food.

The house elves had out done themselves. Not only was there a sumptuous feast laid out for them but soft blankets and pillows scattered around the alcove Haddy had fashioned. Candles floated all around in a similar fashion to the great hall and they'd even tucked flowers into some of the crevices between the rocks, completing the romantic atmosphere. Haddy couldn't have asked for more and was very happy he'd made an effort with his clothes, brushing some lingering dust off his charcoal grey trousers and midnight blue shirt before returning to the main chamber to collect Severus.

Haddy had to swallow quickly to prevent himself from drooling when he caught sight of the man. Still in all black, Severus had taken off his robes to reveal a skin tight t-shirt and jeans that emphasized his long toned legs.

"I feel a little underdressed," he said, fidgeting slightly under Haddy's gaze.

"Don't you look great," Haddy replied once he'd regained full control of his faculties. He remembered his etiquette training and offered Severus his arm, "if you would like to come with me, dinner is waiting."

Severus stood gaping at the sight before him after Hadrian had led him around a wall of boulders. No one had ever gone to such effort for him before, the scene before him was exquisite and the thought that it was Hadrian who had gone to so much trouble made it all the more special.

"It's beautiful."

"Thank you, although I can't take all the credit. I just created the space, the house elves filled it. Anyway, please take a seat, I don't know about you but I'm starving."

Severus found a pile of cushions and decided to lean against the wall, wriggling to find the most comfortable position. Haddy soon joined him, sitting close enough for their arms to brush as they helped themselves to the spread. The conversation flowed freely covering topics from school to politics and the upcoming Slytherin vs Gryffindor quidditch match, slowly edging closer to each other. While sometimes lively, even the barbs and insults they shared lost their bite when teamed with happy smiles.

When they'd eaten their fill Severus reclined back once again, this time with Haddy tucked under his arm, the slightly shorter boy fitting perfectly against his side as his head tucked under Severus's chin.

"Thank you for this wonderful day, Hadrian," he said, slowly stroking the boy's arm.

"Thank you, Severus. You're right, this will be a great place to meet when we clean it out. The room of requirements is OK but quite a lot of people know about it now."

"Hmm," Severus agreed, "although I could foresee the room having some perks, even if it is only a brief peek into your subconscious thought."

Haddy chuckled and pressed himself closer to whisper in Severus's ear, "if you think that's bad you should have seen what was produced the first time I tried." He nuzzled at Severus's neck, peppering it with little nips and kisses.

Severus shuddered but found the arm around Haddy tightening, pulling the boy flush against him. "I don't know if I want to know what that was like."

"Honestly I wasn't even sure what a lot of it was," Haddy admitted, continuing his ministrations, "it's not like I've had a chance to use a lot of it although I was intrigued."

Severus growled. "You could have fooled me brat, are you trying to kill me."

"Of course not, where would be the fun in that. I am, however, trying to make the most of this time alone with you. We so rarely get the chance."

"I suppose you do deserve some kind reward for such a wonderful day."

Deciding to take the lead in proceedings, Severus pushed Haddy onto his back, trapping both of the boys hands under one of his. Haddy wasn't really restrained, it would take very little effort for him to pull his hands free, but Hadrian did not seem inclined. That thought caused Severus's hindbrain to stand up and pay attention.

With Severus looming over him in a slightly menacing manner, holding him in place, Hadrian didn't seem even slightly worried, in fact he seemed very aroused. His pupils were blown wide, his breath coming out in harsh pants and his legs almost unconsciously falling apart in invitation. The vampire in him was screaming at him to take what his mate was so willingly offering but his human side knew it was too soon still but he couldn't deny that things were progressing and Haddy had yet to be put off. If anything the boys ardour seemed to be growing and Severus was finding it increasingly hard to resist him.

He brought his free hand up to stroke along Haddy's jaw, drawing the boys attention to him before gently bringing their lips together. Severus purposely held himself back, keeping the kisses light, nothing more than lips. He could feel Hadrian shifting beneath him, trying to bring them closer together and Severus saw no reason not to comply.

Haddy pulled one of his hands free and began exploring Severus's body, sliding under the hem of his t-shirt to feel the smooth skin beneath. His touch was tentative, inexperienced and unsure, which only served to increase Severus's protective nature. He moved his mouth from Hadrian's, exploring the contours of his face with his lips.

They continued exploring each other for sometime and despite the gentleness of his actions he had still managed to reduce Hadrian to a mass of quivering need. Severus could feel the boys hardness pressed against his hip and wondered at how little it took to get him in such a state. They would definitely continue to take things slowly, for his own sake as well as Hadrian's, but for now he knew he needed to do something to relieve the boy before he combusted from pure frustration.

He tilted Hadrian's head to look him in the eye.

"Tell me what you need, Hadrian."

Desire was pouring off the boy in waves and the heat in his eyes threatened to burn Severus's very soul. "You Severus, I only need you."

Severus dived on him, forcing his lips to open as his tongue plundered the young mouth beneath him. Trailing his hand down Hadrian's torso, Severus couldn't resist stroking and then tweaking the boy's nipple as he passed. The twitching hips and small gasp let him know his attentions were welcome and he decided to store that bit of information away for a later date. He continued to slide his hand down, past a taut stomach to an impressive bulge in Hadrian's trousers.

Carefully angling his own hips away from the boy beneath him, Severus pressed along the not unsubstantial length of his cock, kissing away the moans his action elected. Haddy was a writhing mass of need at this point, frantically pushing himself into Severus's palm, desperate for friction and blessed release. Pushing his hand down against the him, Severus began to stroke the boy through his trousers, a minimal sensation but enough for one so new to this as it didn't take long for him to fall apart, Severus's own name on his lips as his body arched off the ground with the intensity of his climax.

Severus cast a quick cleaning spell as Haddy caught his breath, his brain slowly reforming having been turned to mush.

"Wow, that was incredible, is it always so good with someone else."

"That was nothing compared to what it could be, although things can be a little painful your first time."

"I know, I've read, it's why I've been preparing myself."

Severus groaned. "I wish you wouldn't say things like that, Hadrian, I'm having a hard enough time as it is."

"I could return the favor, you know. I know I don't have any real experience but I have been reading about techniques."

"That was meant to be a thank you for this wonderful date."

"Maybe it's not the thank you I want. Maybe what I really want is to be able to touch you, to touch someone for the first time to see if the reality is anything like my fantasies. Unless you don't want me touching you."

The wounded puppy look on Hadrian's face proved to be Severus's undoing though he vowed never to let his young lover know of its power. His throat suddenly dry, Severus swallowed as he shifted to his knees, unbuttoning his jeans and pushing them and his boxers past his hips to release his straining member, already leaking precome thanks to Haddy's earlier wanton display.

Haddy couldn't help but stare at the long cock as it arched gracefully from a thatch of dark curls. He looked at Severus in askance, not trusting his voice. Severus nodded and Haddy tentatively touched him. It felt glorious, like velvet over steel, and he couldn't take his eyes off it as he gently ran his hand along the length causing Severus to gasp.

"Is this alright?" he asked.

Severus gulped before removing Haddy's hand and licking it, replacing the grip but a little tighter this time, groaning when Haddy began to move again.

"Just think about what you like," he advised, which was all the confidence boost Haddy needed.

It was a power rush; Haddy could feel Severus becoming more undone, his moans coming out broken in Haddy's ear as his hips thrust in time with Haddy's hand. Wanting to get a better angle Haddy moved behind Severus and brought his other hand round to fondle the man's balls. Severus groaned as Haddy ended up pressed up against his back trying to watch what he was doing, the boys renewing erection inadvertently pushing against his backside causing Haddy to moan in response.

Getting lost in the sensations, Haddy began to grind up with a vengeance, losing interest in watching in favor of kissing Severus's neck. Wanting more, Severus threaded his fingers in Hadrian's hair, tilting his head to allow them to kiss.

The angle was awkward and the movements erratic as Hadrian tried to concentrate on too many things at once but still it was enough and soon Severus was sending hot spurts of come over the blankets. Hadrian was close again himself and gripped Severus's hips to grind even harder against him. It wasn't long before he was again, pressing his body tight against Severus's back as he moaned his release.

They both collapsed into a heap on the pillows, smiling contentedly at each other basking in the afterglow before cooling semen began making things uncomfortable. Severus was just about to cast another cleaning spell when Haddy stopped him, before bringing a cum covered hand to his lips before licking it clean.

"Hmm, yours tastes a bit different to mine, not too bad though."

Severus collapsed back with a groan. "How can you be so innocent yet so wanton at the same time."

Haddy shrugged, "I don't know, I'm just me."

"You are temptation incarnate sent to damn me."

"I think you like it really."

Severus looked Haddy in the eye, "you are more than I ever dreamed you could be, angel, and I thank every deity I know that you deem me worthy."

Haddy pressed a heartfelt kiss to him, "ditto."


	50. Chapter 50

The middle of November brought the first Quidditch match of the season: Slytherin vs Gryffindor. A bit of a let down as far as some were concerned, to have the biggest rivalry as the first match but sometimes that was how the draw worked. Had informed the Slytherin students they would be going on an excursion on the Sunday and Draco had already managed to let it slip that they would be going to the chamber of secrets so the excitement level in the dorm was sky high. Lucius had also found out and insisted on coming as well, booking a room for himself and Narcissa at the Three Broomsticks. It was decided that he would be the one to present the gift to the school as he knew the governors and they hoped it might enable him to be reinstated. Haddy was more than grateful as he'd dreaded the idea of having to do it himself.

Haddy had been training the team hard, knowing most classed Slytherin as their main competition, the downside of playing them so early in the year was that they had less practice, with a lot of new players this put them at disadvantage. Draco and the rest of his team had already been winding Ron up, loudly discussing how many goals he would let in. He had tried to calm Ron down but unfortunately the red head wouldn't listen to reason and his sister wasn't much better.

"Can't you shut your dick of a brother up or is this your plan all along, then you can blame our loss on me," Ron fumed.

"We won't lose if you just ignore them and keep calm," Haddy reasoned.

"Oh excellent advice, Harry," Ginny spat, "you may as well just hand them the cup now."

"We're a team, if we stick together and support each other, remember the training we've done, Slytherin won't stand a chance."

"Easy for you to say while you're floating around up in the sky," bemoaned Ron.

"You know the seeker position isn't easy, none of the positions are, so don't give me that crap. Look if you're that worried feel free to sit this one out, we have reserves that can step in."

"Oh you'd love that wouldn't you," Ginny fumed, "I bet you're just scared of the competition, don't want us to take your glory on the pitch and risk losing your captaincy. Are you worried daddy won't love you as much?"

"No Ginny, that's not it. Thankfully I know they will love me whatever. I want to win this game and the cup because I'm the captain, and this is quidditch, and the simple pride of winning means something to me."

"Malfoys never love anyone except for themselves," Ron muttered and Haddy didn't even know how to respond to that, simply shaking his head in exasperation.

"I could slip something into their food," suggested Katie, apparently getting worried about their chances as well, with two Weasleys bickering instead of concentrating on the game in hand.

"As tempting as that is Katie I'm worried they'll just come back worse, saying I sabotaged them or something. Best just stick to the original plan."

"Try and keep the ball away from them and hope they don't notice," said Katie.

"And I'll work as hard as possible to find the snitch extra quick," Haddy agreed though he doubted it would be so easy. The Weasley siblings were a very obvious target and Slytherin were known for pushing their advantages.

It was his first game as captain and the first game where he would have people coming specifically to watch him play so he was really feeling the pressure. He knew Ginny was wrong, his parents wouldn't love him less if they lost but he still wanted to do something to make them proud. Draco was a prefect and had the grades after all and Haddy had been happy when he'd heard that his papa had been bragging about him being captain and didn't want his father to lose face if Gryffindor failed spectacularly because he couldn't keep his team in order.

Of course there was also the Severus factor. They hadn't had a chance to be alone since that time in the chamber, Severus had been back to collect more ingredients but had gone alone as Haddy had been busy with school work and quidditch practice. Although they still weren't official Haddy wanted to impress his lover and quidditch had always been one of his strengths. He had thought Severus might want a reason to disrupt their practice, knowing how competitive the man could get when it came to the game, but he had simply raised an eyebrow and said Gryffindor would need all the help they could get. It wasn't the vote of confidence Haddy had needed and he'd stayed up late into the night going over strategies he and Hermione had been coming up with.

The day of the match dawned crisp and clear, perfect quidditch weather, but the mood in Gryffindor was unbearably tense. Hermione had suggested giving Ron some of her Felix felicis to give the team a boost but Haddy declined; not that he was personally against giving them an edge but that he knew Ron would become utterly insufferable if he won the game for them, even if it was only once. They would just have to make do and simply score more goals than their opponents. Thankfully he could tell from the looks on Katie and Demelza's faces that they already knew this and were determined to win.

The team made their way solemnly out onto the pitch and Haddy took the chance to look around the stands. He caught sight of his parents who smiled indulgently at him. He had no doubt Draco would already have hinted at the troubles he'd been having with the team and he could have sworn he'd seen a look of understanding in their faces but that could well have been wishful thinking. What was surprising, however, was a group of Weasleys sat next to them. The twins and Percy, who were all sat with the Malfoys, apparently perfectly happy to partake in conversation with their parents' enemies and pointedly ignoring the dark looks they were receiving from some. The twins had met his parents over the summer and Haddy knew that Lucius had been giving them advice, looking after their son's investment. He remembered that they said they'd reconciled with Percy recently and he was happy to see them all together.

Madam Hooch's whistle blew bringing Haddy's attention back to the pitch.

"I want to see a clean game from all of you, I know there has been less rivalry this year, especially in certain quarters, so I hope that will continue onto the pitch." The two captains nodded. "Excellent. Now gentlemen if you can shake hands we'll begin."

Haddy shot up into the sky, wanting to get the best possible view to look for the snitch. Draco was hot on his heels.

"What's this, new tactic? Are you just going to wait for me to find the snitch then see if you can catch up."

"Wouldn't be a bad idea except you always seem to edge me out when that happens. No, dear brother, this is mostly self preservation. You see I already know that Crabbe and Goyle are worried about sending bludgers your way, not sure if they're more worried about papa or uncle Sev's reaction should you get injured but either way the result is the same. I also figured your new beaters wouldn't have the accuracy yet to risk knocking you out so this would seem to be the safest place to be."

Haddy couldn't fault his brother's logic and was glad he knew he had one less thing to worry about. Not that he would be complacent, bludgers after all had a mind of their own so there was always a chance one could come flying his way anyway but thankfully those tended to have a little less force than a direct shot and were easier to dodge. Draco wasn't being complacent either, actively scanning the pitch in search of any glint that would give their prize away.

"I thought you'd be trying to stall the game more?" Haddy asked.

"That is one of our options but I'm assuming Bell has been putting the chasers through their paces and she was always a force to be reckoned with. Even the Weasley girl is no slouch if she can keep her head in the game although I'm pretty sure she's going to be one of the major targets for bludgers so probably not as much of a threat today."

"I assume Ron is the other."

Draco nodded, "couldn't help but overhear your conversation the other day and it got Crabbe and Goyle a little irate so they won't be pulling punches in that quarter. I mean really, did they actually have the audacity to think that they were better players than you."

"Thank you for defending my honor."

"That's what brothers are for." Draco winced and Haddy looked down as he heard the whistle to see Ginny Weasley being given medical attention. Apparently Draco hadn't been kidding when he said they were targets.

"That could make things trickier," Haddy commented.

"I don't know, I think she was getting in the way more than anything. Bell actually looks a little relieved."

"Yeah, well, some of us are trying to end the game quickly and don't have time to concentrate on the score."

"Don't blame you, it's pretty fast paced, that new chaser of yours seems to spend half her time behind your hoops picking up the quaffle after we score."

"I guess that means they're pulling off some good counter attacks."

"Oh yes the scores pretty even actually, both chasers are putting on a good show, papa will be glad he didn't miss this."

"Thanks for the reminder. Now I've got to make sure my flying is just as impressive."

"Why Haddy? You have nothing to prove."

"Maybe but I've never had anyone be proud of me before, not really, and I don't want to let him down."

"You don't half talk some rubbish sometimes, Haddy. Papa is immensely proud to be able to call you his son: you made captain of your team and you're already known for being an excellent seeker: he's been very happy to dismiss any notion that your skills had anything to do with Potter. You also defeated the dark lord, one of the most powerful wizards of this century, on multiple occasions I might add, and on top of that you'll be taking him to the famous chamber of secrets, something he's been rubbing in uncle Rodo's face by the way, where you're going to be showing off a basilisk you killed when you were 12. If anyone's not living up to expectations it's me."

"You know I don't see any of those things as achievements, Draco, in most of them I was simply fighting for my life."

"I realise that which is why I won't hold this stupid modesty of yours against you. But you're a Malfoy now, you should own your achievements."

"I will when I feel like I've actually achieved something on my own merit," said Haddy, catching a glint of light out of the corner of his eye. He quickly wheeled his broom around a shot off in the direction of the Hufflepuff stands where he'd seen the snitch, Draco only a second behind.

The crowd roared as soon as they realised what was happening and all attention became focused on the race between the two brothers. Haddy's broom gave him a slight edge but Draco was no slouch, taking the inside corner whenever he could to try and make up those precious centimeters. Never one to stay still for long, the snitch was soon flying off again but Haddy had it in his sights now and was determined not to lose it; he found it so much easier not having to worry about his glasses falling off or fogging up. His chase took him through the main play and a bludger aimed at Urquhart caused him to move off course allowing Draco to edge past him, grinning as he did.

That was better than a taunt for lighting a fire under Haddy who decided to take a chance and loop under, avoiding getting slowed down by the main play. Luck was on his side when the snitch decided to alter its direction and head up into the sky. Draco was solely focused on the small ball and didn't quite catch his maneuver until Haddy was shooting past him, causing him to swear under his breath. Haddy was gaining speed due to not having to change trajectory and it wasn't long before the winged ball was flapping in his hand.

The crowds were on their feet and the cheers deafening as Draco flew up next to him to pat him on the back.

"Good game brother."

"You too, you nearly had me there."

"You've always been a lucky bugger Haddy, and nearly doesn't count."

On the ground Katie, Demelza and Dean, who had subbed on for Ginny, all grabbed him in a hug. They had been fighting hard on their end but, thanks to Ginny and Ron, they'd had a lot of catching up to do. Ginny had been more interested in solo runs, going for glory over teamwork, and had spurred a number of counter attacks thanks to interceptions from Slytherin. Ron had managed to save 4 goals, some would say an improvement on previous performances, but the final score was still 210-120 to Gryffindor and the team was very glad that Haddy had come through for them when he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I've written 50 chapters and nearly 100,000 words and the end is no where in sight!
> 
> This feels like a bit of an achievement and I want to thank you again for all your support. The chapters are still coming do don't worry, I still have plenty of ideas, especially thanks to all your comments. 
> 
> I hope you all continue to enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it.


	51. Chapter 51

Sunday saw a surprisingly buoyant Slytherin house, given their loss the previous day. They had been looking forward to this trip since Haddy and Draco told them about it and not even a loss to their biggest rivals could sour the mood in the dungeons.

Of course it hadn't been long before news of their expedition to the chamber of secrets got around, Slugghorn was overjoyed to hear that he would be receiving such a large supply of rare ingredients and insisted on coming along as well, bringing the O.W.L. and above potions classes as a learning experience. Dumbledore agreed with his suggestion meaning that only 5th year and above Slytherins would be allowed to go. The younger years had been initially upset until Haddy had promised a separate trip provided they could keep it quiet. The possibility of a private tour of the chamber, possibly without teachers, was enough to have all of Slytherin house.

Lucius arrived during breakfast and informed the headmaster that he would be present, representing Haddy's interests, Albus tried to argue against it saying that as the headmaster he could serve as Hadrian's representative perfectly well while on school property. Lucius, however, pointed out that since the school was the beneficiary of his son's generosity it would be unseemly for the headmaster to be given such a position, they wouldn't want any talk about impropriety after all. Somehow Lucius had already been aware of the change in plans regarding the trip, 3although Haddy had no idea how, but he was beginning to wonder if his father was as omniscient as the headmaster.

"Well done for letting our plans for the trip slip to Slugghorn," Lucius said, taking a seat between his two sons. Haddy had decided to sit with the Slytherins as Ron had decided it was his fault Ginny had gotten hit with the bludger: apparently he and Draco had coordinated it and that's why Draco was camping next to him half the game. Consequently he was loudly protesting Haddy's presence, nearly coming to blows last night, so Haddy had chosen to give him a wide berth this morning, for everyone's sake. Katie had promised to get the rest of the team together to have words since neither redhead could be within 3 feet of Haddy without spitting fire and someone needed to reprimand them for their performance.

"What do you mean papa," Haddy asked, "why is it a good thing everyone knows about us going to the chamber today."

"Well Haddy I have it on good authority that the headmaster had learned of our little expedition and was planning on putting a stop to it, apparently some of the lower years haven't learned the art of discretion in the corridors. Anyway he was thinking of ways he could intervene when I had the idea to get Draco to let slip to Slugghorn that there was a large cache of basilisk parts in the belly of the castle."

"All I had to do was drop a hint that you would not be adverse to letting a few extra scales slide his way and the greedy git was planning everything, even sorting out equipment," Draco explained.

"I figured he would be able to persuade the old coot if there was some money in it for him and I was right," Lucius continued. "The headmaster probably figured he could slide a few bits his own way which is why he's so put out I'm here. But he's got no legitimate reason to cancel it now, as he'd already said yes to Slugghorn, which is why he looks like he's eaten a few too many of his lemon drops." Lucius and Draco chuckled at their own deviousness and Haddy found he had to agree; it was always fun to get one over on the headmaster, especially on his own ground.

Haddy couldn't help but smile at his family's actions. "Out of curiosity papa, how did you know the headmaster was planning on stopping us initially?"

"Let's just say, Haddy, strange things can happen when a person's portrait is in more than one location and I am eminently grateful you managed to get your properties back."

Haddy still wasn't sure what his father was talking about but knew he wouldn't get anything more than riddles in such an open location.

The group of students and teachers who were going to the chamber met outside the doors to the great hall when breakfast was over. Slugghorn addressed the gathered crowd of upper year potions students, minus a few students as the trip had been billed as optional. Ginny had begged off as she said it brought up too many bad memories and Colin Creevey had decided to stay with her. A few of the muggleborns were also a little weary of going into the stronghold of someone so outspoken against their kind.

Haddy led the group to the infamous third floor bathroom and Myrtle was quite shocked at the number of people who congregated in her bathroom that morning although probably not as shocked as the rest of them were to find out where the entrance was. Even Slugghorn couldn't help gawking like a fish as Haddy crouched down to hiss at the sink and the passageway opened.

"Well I'll be," muttered Lucius, his pureblood mask cracking slightly. Severus chuckled quietly, only heard due to the silence of the room. "Quiet you, just because you've been here before."

"You've been here before?" Slugghorn asked, sounding slightly put out.

"Yes, Horace, Mr Malfoy asked me to check on the state of things before he suggested bringing other students. I removed the head for fear students might hurt themselves and was able to do something about the smell; I don't think anyone would have appreciated that."

"Well Mr Malfoy, perhaps, as the resident potions master, you will allow me the honor, should you ever come across such a find again, to ask me to help you to harvest any worthwhile ingredients."

"Of course professor, my apologies," Haddy said, "I merely thought a potions master of your calibre would be above simply harvesting and didn't want to bother you. I wasn't even aware of their value until professor Snape told me."

"At which point he informed me," Lucius interrupted, "and we worked out the relative value of the ingredients so it could best be divided between Haddy and the school. Haddy has kept the head, as the most valuable part, and a small section of the body, the rest will be gifted to the school."

Haddy almost chuckled at his father's definition of small as the amount that he and Severus had already harvested was quite substantial. Thankfully the Slytherin knew how to cover his tracks and had already cut the animal into much more manageable sections for the students, under the guise of creating a more sanitary work space, and as such it would be very difficult to judge the original length of the creature. Lucius had suggested saying it was only about 20 feet, still substantial but believable if it only fed on a few rats and insects that made it down this far into the castle. 15 feet of skin and scales plus the bones, a little more than half to account for the added worth of the head, was still quite a boon for the school. If there was actually a little less than that it would be too difficult for anyone to really tell.

Slugghorn still grumbled a bit about Haddy's preferential treatment towards Severus. Haddy apologized again and pointed out that since he'd known Severus longer, and with the man's close connection to his family as well, he was the first choice to go to for help. Unfortunately this didn't deter him. Slugghorn just made a point of telling Haddy that that was what the slug club dinners were for and insisted Haddy came to the next one, much to Haddy's dismay. He'd successfully managed to avoid them so far but realised that wouldn't be an option now. He could have sworn he heard Severus chuckling again after he finally managed to get away but when he looked the man's face was still its usual stoney mask.

The adults resized some rope ladders they'd brought and made sure they were securely fastened before any of the children began their descent to the chamber.

The harvesting was hard work but Haddy was now well practiced and was able to get through more than most. He joked that he should keep anything he harvested instead of giving it to the school but Slugghorn was quick to point out that wasn't the deal they had struck with the governors. As Lucius had been reinstated to the board thanks to that deal, an honor bestowed for services rendered to the school and definitely not a bribe, Haddy quickly pointed out that he hadn't been serious and pointedly ignored the scales that were sticking out of the potion professors pockets.

The board had also been surprised to learn that it was Haddy who had killed the creature and not Dumbledore, requiring a certain amount of obfuscating on the old man's part. Apparently it had been the governor's fault for assuming he'd been the one to slay the creature; he'd only said it had been slain but had never claimed to be the slayer. The fact that no one would assume a 12 year old capable of such a feat had simply slipped his mind.

The harvesting took most of the day. Everyone had stopped for lunch in the main chamber, brought by the house elves, to recharge their batteries a bit, but now it was late afternoon and finally the work was done and sorted. Most of it had been harvested undamaged, a few mistakes had been made at the beginning as many students had never done this work before and some had been done intentionally by less sneaky students wanting to take some for themselves. The school wouldn't want damaged scales with such a supply of good quality ones but they would still fetch a good price, especially if they could be sold before the rest of Haddy's monster hit the market.

The students and Slugghorn returned back up the ladders but Haddy, Draco and Lucius stayed back to take stock of the inventory. As a newly reinstated governor, and his position unofficially dependent on the haul, it was deemed appropriate for him to take that job. As soon as the other students had left, however, the house elves came in to do the actual work. They said they were happy to help as the smell from the corpse had been permeating their quarters and they were grateful to Haddy for getting rid of it.

"So what are you going to do with this place now?" Draco asked as they surveyed the cavern.

"I'm not sure, I was thinking of making it a hideaway of sorts as no one can enter unless I open the door, even the house elves."

"Unless there's another parselmouth," Lucius pointed out.

"Yes," Haddy agreed, "but I can't see Tom popping by any time soon, Dumbledore would have a fit."

"That might be reason enough, although he's still busy on the continent at the moment. He said he had a lead on something in Austria last time we spoke but he didn't want to say anything more."

"How are your plans for toppling the headmaster going, by the way papa."

"Very well as I'm sure you can tell. My position back on the board of governors gives us a say in school business again which is always a bonus, so thank you for that. My standing at the ministry is as strong as ever, possibly stronger now if that Weasley boy comes through. He was telling me yesterday that he had the ear of a number of younger family members who have been rising through the ranks and aren't as tied to their family's beliefs as some might think."

"That's good to know. I'm glad Percy managed to sort things out with the twins, I think it's been hard for them to go against their parents so it's nice to think they still have some of their brothers to turn to."

"Yes, I know you are close to them which is why I extended an invitation to them to come to the manor whenever they want over Christmas, as well as their brothers of course. Percy and Charles seemed particularly happy about that."

"Well Percy's been on the outs with his parents for a few years now so probably likes the idea of being around a lot of people, Weasley gatherings can get very rowdy and it must have felt a bit strange not to experience that after so many years. Charlie has been getting close to Pansy since they met last month so is probably hoping for a chance to see her again as I don't think she'd be very welcome at the Burrow."

"That's good to know, I'll make sure to invite the Parkinson's to all our events as well. Speaking of Christmas, your mama was hoping to have Grimmauld Place ready for you by then, that's why she's not here today as there was an unexpected emergency."

"Oh, don't you want me at the manor over the holidays?"

"Of course we do Haddy, don't be silly. Your mama and I miss you both terribly and can't wait for the holidays. Narcissa just thought that with things progressing with you and Severus you might want somewhere you could be together away from your parents. She was worried you'd feel awkward being together under the same roof as us."

"That's kind of her but I don't think we're anywhere near that stage yet so no need to worry papa, at least Severus definitely isn't anyway." Lucius breathed a sigh of relief. "Although I was hoping to go on a date or two with him over the holidays."

"Of course, but I'm glad to hear you're taking things slowly, especially as this is your first relationship."

"Yes papa, I know, don't worry. It would be a shame to see all of mama's hard work go to waste though. Do you think aunt Bella and uncle Rodo would like to stay there. We could put it under the fidelius charm again and that way they wouldn't have to worry about aurors. It would probably help take some pressure off the werewolves as well."

"A very kind offer Haddy, I'm sure it'll be appreciated by all."

Father and son continued to catch up and were soon joined by Draco. Apparently he'd caught their mother's redecorating bug and had grand plans for the chamber that he was excited to share. Haddy thought some of them were a little over the top but some of the ideas held merit and he wondered how long it would take to get the place looking like he wanted it.


	52. Chapter 52

December saw another Hogsmeade weekend, this one as busy as the first: with the run up to Christmas a lot of people were wanting to get some shopping done before the holidays started. Snow had been steadily falling for the last week and Haddy was more grateful than ever for his new wardrobe; having only worn man made fibres for most of his life he had never imagined how warm cashmere actually was.

Severus wasn't on chaperone duty this time so Haddy had sent him a letter the week before asking him out on an official date. Obviously the news had made the prophet again; the couple hadn't made the front page since the story of Severus congratulating Haddy on Gryffindors win against Slytherin. Nothing had actually happened then but the fact that Severus had come up to Haddy with his parents while everyone was celebrating the Gryffindor victory had been enough for Rita Skeeter, who had managed to compose an entire piece on how wonderful it was that the Malfoys were so accepting of their relationship. Apparently Lucius and Narcissa were the new model progressive parents although Haddy wasn't sure how his father would feel about that title.

Now, however, everyone would be watching them on their date and Haddy was suddenly regretting his decision to go public. He had thought, with the holidays coming up, now would be a good time to step their relationship up and make it official as opposed to rumor but he hadn't realised all of the implications of that. He assumed Severus had known; the man had even double checked with him before sending his own reply at the beginning of the week of a bouquet of white Carnations and something called Jerusalem oak. Haddy had had to check with his Narcissa but she informed him that a solid colour Carnation meant yes and that it was white indicated adoration, the Jerusalem oak meant your love is reciprocated. Haddy adored it and it was now decorating his nightstand with as many preservation charms on it as he could think of.

He had arranged to meet Severus at the shrieking shack for breakfast, wanting to avoid everyone staring when they met as Haddy had a feeling things would be awkward enough as it was. Narcissa had already arranged for Minty to have breakfast waiting for them. Having practically woken up at dawn Haddy now found he had plenty of time to carefully make his way to the Whomping Willow, apparently he found it a lot easier to dress himself in winter, simply choosing his warmest clothes.

Severus seemed shocked when he entered the house.

"This looks a lot better than the last time I was here."

"Yeah, Minty has decided she needs to maintain it in case we need to use it. Turns out that was very smart as it means it was ready for us to use."

Severus took his time to look around at the perfectly laid table bursting with food.

"Well next time you see her say thank you for me. Hello by the way Hadrian."

"Hello Severus, I'm glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Breakfast was a surprisingly pleasant affair and Haddy was happy that the conversation flowed freely as they ate their fill. Haddy was relieved, not that he could recall any of what they'd talked about just that there had been smiles, laughter and even a bit if flirting from both sides. He had been worried that things would get awkward between them; that they'd run out of things to say and end up sitting in awkward silence but apparently knowing someone for over 5 years helped you find things to talk about.

With breakfast over they took to the streets. Severus even took his hand claiming he didn't want to lose Haddy in the crowd; Haddy didn't care what the reason was, he was just happy he got to stay so close. He kept sneaking glances up at Severus as they walked along the streets, ignorant of the looks they were garnering from everyone around them. They spent the day wandering around the shops, lost in a world of their own, exploring the back streets to keep away from the crowds although they both knew there was little in the village off the main High Street.

Severus did ask to pop into Tomes and Scrolls as he rarely had the chance to come to the village for something other than work. Haddy got lost in some of the books himself but did manage to find some that he thought Hermione might be interested in which was good; not too early to start looking for Christmas presents he thought, especially as he had so many to buy this year. Haddy had hoped to find something for Severus, or at least get some ideas, but annoyingly the man bought everything that caught his eye, apparently he'd allowed himself a spending spree with his recent good fortune.

Both of them refused to step foot in Madam Puddifoot's despite it being a date for which Haddy was eternally grateful; although the Three Broomsticks would be rammed he couldn't stand the thought of being around all those other couples again. He had suggested they try the Hog's Head as, although it was dingy, likely no one would pay attention to them there. Severus had instantly vetoed it informing Haddy the proprietor was the headmaster's brother.

They aimed for a late lunch as they'd had such a big breakfast but, unsurprisingly, the most popular eatery in Hogsmeade was still busy when they entered. They managed to find a table near the back but that did nothing to stop the everyone from staring.

"I don't think a notice me not spell is going to work this time," Haddy remarked as he began to peruse the menu.

"Unfortunately I think you're right," Severus agreed.

"You'd think that I'd be used to this kind of attention in the wizarding world but I think I've become a little complacent these last few months, with the fact that I no longer look like Harry Potter."

"It must have been quite the relief. I've only been on the receiving end of it for a few hours but I'm sorry that I ever thought you wanted this."

"Don't worry about it, you didn't know. I'm just a bit annoyed it's ruined the nice atmosphere from this morning."

"It was nice," said Severus, smiling at Haddy over his menu, "but I fear this is a necessary evil. It will be good for us, as well as the cause, to be seen out in public like this."

"Maybe, but over Christmas I fully intend to take you out in the muggle world so we can avoid any stares."

"I'm afraid our age difference will cause a few raised eyebrows no matter where we go but you're right, it would be nice to spend some time with just the two of us."

"I'm glad you agree, I hope you don't have any plans by the way because I plan on taking up as much of your time as possible."

Severus chuckled, "I believe your parents may have something to say about that. Although I have received invitations to all of their events including, Christmas day itself, so I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of me."

"I do hope so."

"Hadrian Malfoy, I do hope you're not suggesting we do anything untoward while at your parents house."

"Of course not, I already told papa we weren't ready yet although if you've changed your mind I can probably stave off aunt Bella and uncle Rodo from moving into Grimmauld Place until the new year."

"No Haddy, your first instincts were right, we do need to take things slow plus I don't know if I'd want to do anything in that place; it reminds me too much of the order."

"Fair enough although it would be nice to spend the night with you, not doing anything necessarily, just laying in your arms. It felt nice when we were in the chamber last month."

Severus gave him a small soft smile, one that Haddy realized was only ever directed at him. "You're right it was nice, maybe we can figure something out. I was hoping to get the chance to check out my properties over the holidays, especially now it's Horace's job to restock the infirmary and not mine. Maybe I can invite you over for dinner one day, although I suggest we go through Narcissa instead of Lucius."

"I'd definitely like to try your cooking and yes, papa can get a little overprotective at times but it's nice to have someone who cares about me."

"You have plenty of people who truly care about you now," said Severus, leaning across the table to take Haddy's hand.

"That's true and I'm grateful for all of them."

They sat holding hands and staring lovingly into each other's eyes before Madam Rosmerta came to take their order. The meal was shared over coy looks and shy smiles, both trying to convey through actions emotions they weren't yet comfortable enough with to put into words.

They stopped by Honeydukes on the way back and ran into Draco and Hermione, also out on a date, apparently it wasn't only Haddy and Severus's relationship that was progressing nicely. They had a quick catch up while they perused the shelves, Haddy wanting to pick up some treats to get him through the last few weeks of school. When they were done they decided to walk back along the main road to Hogwarts, after all everyone had already seen them walking around the village and they also didn't want people to catch on about the shrieking shack's secret. 

Haddy slipped his arm around Severus's waist and tucked himself into the man's side.

"Is this alright?" Haddy asked.

Severus wrapped his arm around Haddy's shoulder to hold the boys against him more securely.

"It's perfect,Hadrian, thank you so much for a lovely day."

"You're welcome, although I don't feel like we did much."

"Sometimes it's nice just to be able to enjoy each other's company."

"Even with everyone staring at us?"

"That wasn't ideal no, but the more they see us the more they'll get used to it; we'll soon be old news."

"Even when we keep making the front page of the prophet? I swear someones been following us around taking pictures all day."

"The Creevey brothers, they'll probably make a fair bit of money from it as well."

"You're not mad?"

"It was a little annoying but they were discrete, for Gryffindors at least, it definitely could have been worse. Plus all this press will help your father and I'd rather stay on his good side."

"Don't worry, mama and aunt Bella are routing for us so papa will go along."

"For now, although he has ways of exerting his will without your mother knowing; don't forget there was a reason he was a Slytherin leader."

"Fine, but I'll be glad when we can just be together without worrying about all of that."

"That could be some time, do you still plan on being around then?"

"Of course. I've said it before Severus but I'm afraid you're stuck with me now."

"For some reason, Hadrian, I can't say I mind that idea."

Haddy smiled and squeezed closer. "So does this mean we're an official couple now."

"I believe so," Severus replied as they walked up the steps to the main entrance.

"So it's okay if I kiss you in public."

"Yes, so long as it's not during school hours."

Haddy couldn't help but smile as he stretched up to press a delicate kiss on his boyfriends lips, right in the middle of the main entrance to the school. It was little more than a peck but felt to him like the most wonderful thing in the world, to be able to claim to everyone that this man was his.

"I guess this is goodbye for now then, Severus, I doubt we'll get a chance to be alone again before the break."

"I believe you're correct. Goodbye Hadrian and thank you again for today, I'm sure I'll see you shortly at dinner."

Haddy nodded and made his way up the stairs to Gryffindor tower, wondering how long he had to wait until they no longer had to say goodbye.


	53. Chapter 53

The end of term came quickly and the night before they were due to catch the train Haddy managed to meet up with Severus in the room of requirements to discuss their plans over the holidays.

Haddy had been intrigued as Severus had been the one to arrange the meeting and, thus, set up the room and there had been a stark difference. For starters there had been no bed, the room resembling a comfortable library with walls of books and a roaring fireplace. They'd spent a few hours cuddled up on one of the leather sofas, gently kissing and stroking each other while they discussed what they would do. Severus had already agreed to come to the Yule ball and the new years party that would be thrown at the Zabini residence and he would be coming to the manor on Christmas day, possibly the most anticipated as all of the Lestranges would be able to attend as well as Tom.

Severus suggested Haddy come round to his house on the 28th as that would give him time to prepare.

"You do realise that I don't need you to do anything special Severus, I'm a man of simple tastes."

"He says whilst wearing silk pyjamas."

"Okay, I may have realised the joys of natural fibres over man-made, although you don't seem to mind."

Severus looked at where his hand was stroking along Haddy's arm. "On the contrary, Hadrian, you are far too tempting wearing these, I'm having a hard time stopping myself from seeing if your skin is equally as smooth."

"I wouldn't mind you know," Hadrian said as he began nuzzling Severus's neck.

"Precisely why I need to stop myself, one of us needs to control this situation, and stop that."

Haddy pouted, "shame, I was quite enjoying myself. Anyway, back to my original point, I may be a Malfoy now but I wasn't raised that way, I lived in a cupboard under the stairs for 11 years in case you forgot."

"I will admit I have been trying to. When I think of what you went through for all those years I don't know what I feel more; rage or despair."

Haddy kissed Severus on the cheek and snuggled closer. "Don't think about it then, it doesn't matter. I've got you now, and my family, that's all I care about."

Severus felt his heart clench at Haddy's words and had to stop himself from blurting out some of his own. He was pretty sure he knew what he was feeling but he was still scared to say it out loud, scared to make himself so vulnerable; after all, that wasn't the Slytherin way. "I care about you too Hadrian," was what he settled for, pulling the boy so close he was practically lying on top of him.

"Still, nothing special," Haddy said, looking up at Severus from his new position on his chest. "I would be happy with popcorn and a movie."

"Says the man who was talking about taking me to Paris."

"That was mama's idea, not that I think it's a bad one. I was serious about the cinema though, I've never actually been before."

"Fine then," Severus said, giving Haddy a squeeze and dropping a kiss on his head, "popcorn and a movie it is, and then it's back to mine where I'll cook for you as promised."

"Does that mean I get to stay over?" Haddy asked excitedly.

"Only if your parents agree."

"Are you going to bring me breakfast in bed in the morning as well, I've never experienced that either."

"Maybe, that depends on whether you can behave before then."

"Ah, but what do you mean by behave? Do you want me to be good or very good?" Haddy said, suggestively sliding his hand down Severus's chest.

Severus groaned as his head dropped back while stopping the progress of Haddy's hand. "Sometimes I swear you were put on this planet to test me."

They ended up kissing on the sofa after that, nothing too intense but Haddy wasn't going to complain; after all Severus never actually answered his question so he assumed that meant it was his choice.

The next day saw Hadrian was packing his bag ready to go home. It was a strange concept for him to actually be going to his own family in his own home for Christmas and it made him feel quite giddy; the fact that he knew he'd be seeing a lot of Severus in the upcoming weeks didn't help either. Not that most of the teachers didn't seem to be trying their best to stop that with the amount of homework they were given to do over the break. Katie Bell informed him it was nothing new, a standard part of the N.E.W.T level courses, but Haddy wasn't so sure; McGonagall had looked especially pleased when she informed them they'd have to write a 5 ft essay about the animagus transformation.

The headlines after their last Hogsmeade date proclaimed that the boy-who-lived was officially off the market, complete with pictures of their kiss at the entrance; Hermione hadn't even waited for him to ask before cutting it out and giving it to him. She had been quite happy herself, however, as there had also been a picture from where they had all met in Honeydukes, the article once again saying how wonderful it was to see two such unlikely couples forming in the aftermath of the dark lord.

Of course they had their detractors, Molly Weasley in particular had started a petition to try and get Severus fired for taking advantage of a student, despite all the evidence to the contrary, sparking a fairly epic war of words. Narcissa had taken great joy in verbally tearing the woman apart, saying she and Lucius had talked to Haddy at length to make sure that this was what he wanted. She also suggested that Molly should take a look after her own family first before interfering in the affairs of others. The fact that Percy had been photographed at public appearances with the Malfoys and Lucius was now the official financial advisor for Weasley's wizarding wheezes certainly didn't help Molly's cause and her petition only gained 20 signatures.

Hermione was going with her parents to visit her grandmother on Christmas much to Draco's dismay but she had promised to come to the Malfoys Yule ball, one of the biggest events on the wizarding social calendar, so Draco had been somewhat mollified: he hadn't wanted to go stag especially when Haddy was likely to spend the whole night with Severus as it would be their debut in society as a couple. Haddy hadn't seen the problem with going on your own as he'd gone to the Slug club Christmas party on his own. Draco, however, pointed out it didn't really count as going on your own if your partner showed up halfway through the night and you then sneak out onto the balcony for the rest of it. Haddy had the decency to blush at that accusation: they had only meant for it to be a quick kiss but it had turned into a full blown snogging session. He'd thought they'd been discrete but apparently people had been running bets as to how long they'd stay out there.

Haddy was slightly apprehensive about attending the party, having not been to an event like that since the disaster of the fourth year Yule ball, and was dreading having to dance again. Narcissa had promised a visit to the spa the day before, to help Haddy with his nerves, and as many dance lessons as he wanted. Lysander had asked to join him for this as the Longbottoms, having not been ones for social events despite being prominent purebloods, had never thought to teach him and, like Haddy, he didn't want to risk shaming his family in such a public forum.

Draco was looking forward to having his cousin as well as his brother around for the holidays and had made them both promise not to spend too much time with their other halves. Apparently it could get quite lonely in the manor when you were an only child, despite Lucius and Narcissa's best efforts, and he was looking forward to spending time with his new family members again.

The train going back to London was a near chaos, with students milling about to talk to new friends they'd made in different houses, wishing everyone a happy Christmas and making plans to meet up over the winter break. Even though he'd spent his entire time at Hogwarts being the famous Harry Potter, it was Hadrian Malfoy that found his social calendar filling up with people wanting to arrange get-togethers on various days. Apparently Ron had always made out that Haddy was some sort of recluse and just stayed at home all the time which is why no one had ever bothered asking him before: another example of people ruining his life but, if Haddy was honest with himself, he was too happy right now to care. All he could think about was getting to spend so much time with Severus.

Narcissa and Lucius were waiting for all three boys when they got off the train; Lysander was going back to the manor with them to keep up appearances but was then going on to Grimmauld place to spend some time with his own parents. He'd been communicating with his mum via letter, under the guise he'd been writing to Narcissa should anyone have been intercepting the letters, and they'd gotten quite close over these last few months so he was really looking forward to seeing them again in person.

Haddy had noticed the difference having a loving and supportive family had produced in his friend already, although being in a happy relationship was probably helping as well; Lys and Blaise had spent a large portion of the train ride snuggled together, sometimes talking with their friends, sometimes making out, but never far from each other's side. Haddy was happy for him, he knew Lys's home life hadn't been much better than his growing up and was glad to see his friend finally having some confidence about himself.

The whole family, including the Lestranges, were meeting for dinner in muggle London before going their separate ways. Of course his parents would have booked some posh restaurant that with a name Haddy wasn't sure he could pronounce, and likely a menu to match, and was glad he'd let Draco talk him into travelling in trousers and shoes instead of jeans and trainers like he'd originally planned.

"So Haddy," Rabastan asked, in between courses, "how far have you and Severus got then?"

"Rab, must you lower the tone everywhere we go," Bella admonished, "that is not an appropriate conversation topic for the dinner table."

"Sorry Bella but you're all just as curious."

"Not all of us," Lucius drawled, "some of us like to live in blissful ignorance of their childrens' love lives."

Haddy had been initially embarrassed but, with the adults bickering, noticed an opportunity for a bit of fun. "Don't worry papa we haven't gone nearly as far as Lys and Blaise or Draco and Hermione."

He grinned as everyone's heads whipped around at that information; the two sets of parents eyeing their children speculatively and the said children staring daggers at him.

Rabastan found the situation amusing, "well played Haddy, a very Slytherin move, I'm impressed."

"Yes son, Rabastan is right, and I'm grateful for you informing me of things. Draco, we will be having words regarding your relationship with Miss Granger when we get home."

"The same goes for you and Mr Zabini," Rodolphus informed Lysander.

Haddy might have been more worried for his brother and cousin is not for the conspiratorial looks Bella and Narcissa were exchanging: if the Black women weren't against these matches, their husbands wouldn't be either.

The rest of dinner passed pleasantly enough, with plans for Christmas shopping being made before they left. With the Lestranges still technically wanted in the wizarding world it wasn't surprising there would be a lot of trips out in the muggle world, especially with the wizards discovery of muggle Christmas fairs. Haddy had only heard about them from Hermione before now so was looking forward to them himself.

What he wasn't looking forward to was going robe shopping. He understood the necessity of looking good for his debut but an afternoon spent in Madam Malkin's, with Narcissa and Draco faffing over which cut was most flattering on him or which shade of blue best brought out his eyes, was enough to give him a stomach ache. He just hoped Severus would appreciate his sacrifice.


	54. Chapter 54

The ballroom at Malfoy Manor was grand on any day, but on the night of the Yule Ball it was positively resplendent. Haddy was beginning to feel uncomfortable again; the massage he'd had the day before had gone a long way to relieving some of his stress but now, stood in this beautiful room amongst a multitude of elegant people, it was coming back full force. His new robes were starting to feel uncomfortable but he was desperately trying not to fidget as he'd already been moaned at about a dozen times by Draco. Thankfully Hermione had now arrived and his brother was preoccupied with acting as host for her parents.

It was the first time muggles had ever come to this event, apparently, so the Grangers were garnering a lot of attention. Lucius was happy as their presence was going a long way to dispelling the rumors about his hatred of muggles and Rita Skeeter was already thinking up possible headlines; although from what Haddy could tell tomorrow's edition of the prophet would just be a replay of the nights events, catching the rest of the wizarding world up on the comings and goings in high society. It was a stark reminder of why he never bought the rag himself.

Cornelius Fudge had been in full swing, holding court as if it were his own event. Narcissa had informed him that was standard behavior and the family usually just let him get on with it; at least he kept a number of the snivelling sycophants at bay, Haddy thought, making sure to give the group a wide berth as he went round greeting his friends.

Haddy had been happy to learn that Marcus and Oliver had received invites and were also using this as their public debut as a couple. There had already been rumors about them already after they'd been spotted together a few times after Oliver's games so it wouldn't come as a huge surprise to most but Haddy was happy the spotlight wouldn't just be on him.

Not that there weren't a number of new couples milling around: Charlie Weasley had been awkwardly talking to the Parkinson's earlier after Pansy had introduced them and was now receiving a thorough ribbing from both the twins and Percy. Lysander was happily escorting around Mrs Zabini, who was never averse to being seen on the arm of a handsome young man and was consequently in her element; Blaise was at Lys's other side looking quite pleased with his boyfriend's efforts.

Having made his rounds, Haddy was now trying to stay inconspicuous, hiding in a corner, while anxiously waiting for his own partner to arrive. Severus was apparently running late and he was beginning to feel awkward fielding questions about his absence. 

"There you are, Haddy, we'd been looking everywhere."

"Remus," Haddy said, spinning around to greet his friend with a hug, "I'm so glad you're here, I wasn't sure you'd come."

"I wasn't going to, it's not really my sort of thing, but this one insisted," Remus indicated to Fenrir Greyback who was standing behind him.

"Hello Hadrian, it's nice to see you again," Fenrir said, shaking Haddy's hand, "and of course I insisted you come. Not only will it help our cause but I knew Hadrian would want you here."

"Definitely, thank you for bringing him Fenrir. How are things with the colony, by the way?"

"Much better now we can be pretty sure there won't be any more attacks," Fenrir replied.

"Yes," said Remus, who was looking a little sheepish, "although I am the reason the aurors keep coming round, I had been keeping hidden until tonight."

"Why?" Haddy asked, "it's not like you like you technically did anything illegal, why would they be after you."

"We're not sure but they may want to arrest me so they can blame me for the attacks," Remus explained.

"But that wasn't your fault, you were being controlled," protested Haddy.

"Maybe," said Fenrir, "but it'll be hard to prove and at this point I fear Dumbledore will just want to save face. He's received quite a few blows these last few months and will be looking for any opportunity to re-exert his power."

"Will you be alright coming to this party then, Remus?"

"I should be okay, Haddy. I hid at the colony because they would have questioned why I was there given my previous stance against werewolves and could have used that as an excuse to launch an investigation. I don't think there was any evidence to link me to the attack, though, so there should be no reason for them to come after me here. If anything my supposedly meeting Fenrir here will give me cover for being there."

"Yes," said Fenrir, coming up close behind Remus and placing a hand on the small of his back. Remus momentarily tensed before relaxing into the touch. "The plan is to make sure we're seen getting close, possibly even get pictured, then Remus can just say he's coming to the colony to try to understand our kind better."

"Our only worry is how Albus will react when he finds out. He doesn't take betrayal well, just look at how he's been treating Severus."

"Speaking of, where is your erstwhile partner Haddy?" Fenrir asked.

"Late I'm afraid Fenrir, I'm starting to get a bit worried."

"I'm sure everything's fine. Severus is a more than competent wizard Haddy and it's clear he cares about you, he'll show up and have an excellent reason for being late." Remus was trying to be reassuring but it wasn't working, Haddy's doubts were becoming louder by the second, wondering if he had pushed the relationship too far too quickly and now Severus was having second thoughts. He bid his friends goodbye, feeling the need to be on his own.

Haddy decided to get away from the crowds for a bit and started making his way to the French doors that led out onto the patio that Narcissa had had magically warmed for anyone wanting some fresh air or a little privacy. Fortune, however, wasn't on his side right now when he was accosted by the group he least wanted to see.

"Mr Potter, our resident hero, where have you been hiding yourself all night?" Cornelius Fudge asked, striding over with some of the members of the Wizengamot. They all received invitations every year though few usually accepted. For some reason this year they had all decided to come but Haddy refused to read too much into it.

"I've been circulating, minister, it is a son's duty to introduce himself to his father's associates. Unfortunately there are quite a few guests tonight so I've been very busy." This was actually true, it had been part of his lessons over the summer.

"Of course my boy, of course, and I'm sure you were saving the most important for last."

"Precisely minister, that way I could give you my undivided attention." The fact that Haddy left out the part where he had hoped to be occupied enough that he never got round to seeing Fudge.

"Quite, although I hope I shall receive the same now, especially as it seems your new partner is absent tonight."

"Yes, where is Mr Snape," Ignatius Prewitt asked, "has love's young dream soured already?"

"Not at all Mr Prewitt, Severus is merely delayed but he's due to arrive shortly." Haddy hoped this wasn't actually a lie.

"So you say Mr Potter, but some of us find his behavior strange, for a vampire that is."

"What do you mean?"

"Well that you're meant to be his mate and yet he still hasn't claimed you even though you've been together for months. It leads one to wonder whether that is really true or if he is simply saying you're his mate as an excuse to take advantage of you."

"Firstly Mr Prewitt, we have only been officially together for a little over two weeks, I'd hardly say that was a long time. Secondly, Severus is waiting for me to be sure this is what I want. If he never tastes my blood he can continue to drink others so he wants to make sure I want to enter into this relationship, given that I am still young, he wants to take things slowly. And, for the record gentlemen, I prefer to be called Hadrian Malfoy, especially when I'm in my father's house."

"My apologies, Mr Malfoy," Ignatius emphasized, "of course your father wouldn't want any reference to your former enmity, it might cause people to question your new found closeness."

"That shouldn't be too surprising Mr Prewitt, given our previous enmity was more a misunderstanding. Apparently people had been spreading misinformation about us and we both made the mistake of listening."

"I suppose that's also true about you and your new lover," Prewitt sneered.

"On the contrary," said the man in question, robes billowing as usual as he strode over to the group. "I'm sure you're aware, Mr Prewitt, of my parents unhappy marriage; I learned Hadrian here was my mate when I first met him and didn't want him to suffer the same fate as my father so did everything in my power to push him away. Fortunately for me he is not easily dissuaded and decided he wanted a relationship anyway."

"So it was true that Mr Malfoy has been the one doing the pursuing," Fudge queried, "as absurd as it sounds, some people had actually started questioning the veracity of the prophet over their insistence about that."

"A ridiculous thought indeed, minister, to question an institution such as the prophet," Severus said though his lips quirked slightly in amusement, "now if you don't mind excusing us I must go and greet our hosts. In my haste to come and greet Hadrian I fear I neglected the courtesy but I feared my boyfriend would worry too much at my absence so sought him out first."

"Why were you so late, if you don't mind my asking Mr Snape?" Prewitt's question had an air of accusation that made Haddy bristle with anger.

"I'm afraid the headmaster had an urgent situation he needed me to address. Since they learned of Hadrian's mistreatment in his home life, the governors have insisted we pay closer attention to any reports of abuse of our students and professor Dumbledore asked that I investigate one such report immediately."

"The governors are quite right," said the minister, "we must do everything we can to protect the next generation of wizards, we don't want another dark lord rising after all."

"Were they alright?" Haddy asked, suddenly worried for the safety of a fellow student and hating the idea that one of them might be going through what he did.

"Yes, it seemed to be a misunderstanding, the child is fine and for that reason I won't disclose who it was. Now gentlemen, if you will excuse us, I really must go greet the hosts." With that Severus bowed to the minister and quickly escorted Haddy away before they could be detained any longer.

.  
They found Lucius and Narcissa near the dance floor, having a chat with the Greengrasses.

"Severus, so glad you could finally make it," Lucius greeted, "although I see you managed to find my son before you found me."

"My apologies Lucius but I felt the need to save him from the minister and Prewitt."

"Quite right, Severus," Narcissa said, embracing him then her son, "I do hope they didn't trouble you too much Haddy."

"No mama, don't worry, Prewitt was trying to goad me a bit about Severus being late but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"Why were you so late?" Lucius asked.

"Dumbledore, although I may have inadvertently come across something. I need to do some research but first but I'll let you know when I'm more sure as to the implications."

Lucius nodded his acceptance then encouraged the men to take a turn on the floor.

Haddy was apprehensive, although he'd had more dance lessons he still feared he had two left feet.

"Relax, Hadrian, what is the worst that could happen?" Severus whispered in his ear as he led him to the centre of the floor.

"I could trip you up causing us both to fall and ending up knocking some of the couples which will eventually lead to a pile up." Hadrian suggested, causing Severus to laugh out loud. Several heads turned at the sound many had never heard before.

"That really is the worst case scenario and not very likely to happen."

"You're underestimating how bad I am at dancing."

"You forget Hadrian, I saw you dance a few years ago. You didn't lack rhythm but your nerves made your movements awkward and your lack of confidence prevented you from leading well. This time, however, I will be leading, so just relax and look at me."

Haddy looked up into those deep pools and let out a sigh as Severus pulled him close and they began to move. Haddy was hardly aware of what his feet were doing, secure in the arms of his lover as they glided around the room. He couldn't take his eyes off of Severus's, revelling in the affection he felt in them, knowing the feelings would be reflected in his own. He'd lost track of how long they were dancing, although he was sure it must have been at least a few songs, and was surprised at how thirsty he felt when Severus suggested they get a drink.

"You were drawing quite a crowd out there, brother," Draco drawled as he led Hermione towards them.

"Yes it was quite impressive Haddy," Hermione said, "much better than during the tri wizard tournament."

"Maybe I just needed the right partner," Haddy suggested, looking up at Severus who simply smiled back at him.

"Fine, fine," Draco muttered in mock irritation, "we know you're crazy about each other. By the way if you're looking for a quiet place to make out I'd avoid the patio unless you want to see a bunch of old people getting it on, plus papa has been doing the rounds."

"Thanks for the heads up Draco," Haddy called as Draco led Hermione back towards her parents.

So it was that Haddy and Severus spent the next hour together in the parlour. Severus had vetoed Haddy's suggestion of going to his room for fear of earning Lucius's ire but they still managed to end up horizontal on a sofa and it took several spells to get their robes back in order before they could join the party again.

Haddy was glued to Severus's side for the rest of the night, not that the other man seemed to mind. They'd posed for more pictures than Haddy could count, either alone or with friends, and he was happy to be reminded of how much support they had as a couple.


	55. Chapter 55

It wasn't even light out when Haddy was awoken on Christmas day courtesy of Draco jumping up and down on his bed; apparently it was tradition for his brother to be up at the crack of dawn to see what presents they had. Haddy had been informed of the order of the day the night before: the family would exchange gifts from each other in the morning, with guests arriving for lunch and everyone exchanging gifts in the evening. A buffet would be put on in the evening should anyone actually still be hungry from lunch but few usually ended up partaking in it. Haddy was looking forward to a big family Christmas again, it was one thing he'd enjoyed with the Weasleys, and at least the twins had said they'd be popping over later; even if it was just to exchange gifts Haddy was happy as he didn't think it would feel like Christmas without them.

He'd spent ages Christmas shopping with his family and friends, suddenly having a multitude of people to buy presents for. He hoped everyone liked them; Draco had said it was the thought that counted and people would be happy with a box of chocolates but Haddy still felt the need to try and get something people would want. He was pretty confident with some of them but he'd had a nightmare coming up with ideas for Severus; he hoped his boyfriend would be happy.

Breakfast was a fairly simple affair of tea and toast; Haddy was informed this was because Draco could rarely manage anything else before he was rushing off to open his presents. Draco strongly objected to this despite his near constantly fidgeting throughout the meal and was gone before Haddy could blink as soon as Lucius said he could leave the table.

Haddy enjoyed sitting around the Christmas tree amidst a mountain of wrapping paper as they all tore through their gifts. They had visited a muggle Christmas market with the Grangers the week before so unsurprisingly they each had a number of muggle amongst their presents. Draco was very happy to receive a Firebolt with Lucius saying he would now be able to compete with his brother.

Lady Aurelia stopped by, not wanting to deal with the fuss of a big family dinner but wanting to see her grandchildren. Haddy received a large supply of healing texts and a warm smile after he said how much he'd enjoyed his previous one. It was a new feeling for him, being able to make his own family members proud, it made him feel warm and fuzzy and he hoped he'd get more chances to feel it in the future.

Lunch was a very busy affair with Tom Riddle, Peter Pettigrew, all the Lestranges and, of course, Severus Snape in attendance. Draco had been poking fun at Haddy all morning with how much time he was spending fussing over which of his new robes to wear and trying to get his hair just so; given that Haddy spent almost as much time as Draco getting ready he had to concede his brothers point. Freya Black, Haddy's maternal grandmother, was also there, wanting the chance to meet her long lost grandsons. With Narcissa's blonde hair and Bella's delicate features the petite woman seemed to personify the Fae stereotype and, with her warm and friendly personality, made her a firm favorite with all. She paid particular attention to Lysander once she learned of his love of herbology and spent much of the meal in deep conversation with both him and Narcissa.

The atmosphere around the table wasn't as boisterous as at the Weasleys although they numbered as many and conversation flowed freely. It was a lavish spread with an assortment of joints of meat, potatoes and vegetables; Narcissa had explained that they'd learned to forgo a starter as most people ended up leaving it to save room for the main. Haddy rarely saw as much food at a Hogwarts banquet so wasn't overly surprised.

Haddy was happy as he'd been sat next to Severus and the two couldn't help subtly, and not so subtly, touching each other throughout the meal, much to the amusement of the other guests.

"Haddy, why don't you just climb in his lap already and be done with it?" Rabastan asked over dessert causing a wave of sniggers to erupt around the table. Haddy blushed while Lucius and Severus sent him death glares.

"Leave them be, Rab," Tom reasoned, "I think it's wonderful our Severus has found such joy with his mate."

"I agree Tom," said Freya, "it fills me with such joy to see two young people so in love."

"Quite mama," Narcissa agreed, "we are all so glad our Hadrian has found such happiness with Severus."

"Lysander seems to have made a good match as well," Bella said, "I think you'd like him a lot, he reminds me a bit of papa. It's almost a shame he's spending the day with his mother but apparently it's a tradition for the two of them."

"And what about Draco," Freya asked, "has he got his eye on anyone yet or is he still playing the field?"

"He's been seeing one of Haddy's friends," Lucius replied, "a very smart young witch, possibly the brightest of the century."

Peter looked up from his piece of chocolate torte, "Do you mean the muggleborn?" Lucius nodded and Haddy found himself holding his breath.

"The Granger girl," Tom asked, "I've heard about her, rumor is she quite broke young Viktor Krum's heart. Seems she has very high standards if she's moved on to Draco from him, although if she's as intelligent as you say it's probably a better match."

"She definitely is Tom," Severus said, "she had 9 O's and one E in her O.W.L's and, given the school's track record for defense teachers, an E is exemplary."

"Yes the state of the education in that department is atrocious and certainly something I'm having the governors look into, although I do feel the need to point out that Hadrian still managed to achieve an O," Lucius said with a smug smile.

"Yes well not even many adults are able to produce a fully formed patronus," Narcissa proudly injected.

"Oh, what form does it take?" Rabastan asked.

"A stag," Haddy informed them.

"Really?" Rabastan seemed very curious, "Severus isn't yours a doe?" Severus nodded.

"Seriously, how come you didn't tell me. Were you worried I'd start talking about us being fated," Haddy joked.

"Perhaps," said Severus, smiling at him.

"Is Dumbledore still spreading the rumor that Tom cursed the position because the old coot wouldn't give him a job," Rodolphus asked, ignoring Haddy and Severus making eyes at each other.

"Yes," Lucius confirmed, "though I find it preposterous that people believe that rubbish. I mean I know we're wizards but how would one even go about casting a spell so long lasting yet specific."

"I believe I have information regarding Dumbledore's motives," Tom informed them, "but I believe that conversation is best left for after presents."

The group agreed and congregated in the parlour around the Christmas tree. Haddy found the sheer number of presents astounding, his own pile growing as each person handed out all the gifts they'd brought; he'd didn't think he'd ever received so many presents in all his years combined and he was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. His nerves started to set in as people opened the gifts he'd given them; he was so worried people wouldn't like what he'd got for them. Draco had told him he didn't need to buy a gift for every person coming and it was quite normal for people to receive gifts from all the family, but Haddy was adamant and it wasn't long before Draco was following his lead.

The only exception had been Tom, none of the family had been able to come up with what to get him, especially as he'd been travelling on the continent recently bit a surprise find at Grimmauld place meant he was the only person to receive a joint present and Haddy hoped it would be alright.

Tom regarded the box that had been carefully wrapped in bright green paper.

"Thank you my friends, I had not expected to receive anything, in fact I believed I didn't deserve anything, this is a wonderful surprise."

"You haven't opened it yet, you might change your mind yet," joked Rab.

Tom merely smiled and began carefully unwrapping the package, opening the box to reveal a silver locket with emeralds set in an 'S' pattern.

"The Slytherin locket," he said, astounded, "where on earth did you find this, I thought it was lost for good."

"We found it when we were sorting through things at Grimmauld place," Narcissa explained, "I thought it must be important so I asked Kreacher about it. He said Regulus had taken him to retrieve it, apparently he had been searching for a way to help you and had come across a reference to the horcruxes. They had gone to a cave to find that but there were a lot of traps in place, we think Regulus must have been hurt by one of them. We figured he'd want you to have it."

Tom looked stricken, "trust Reggie to placey life before his own, I am saddened to think that I inadvertently caused his death; I wish he had not put himself in such a position but he would not have been the man loved if he didn't," he sighed, "I just miss him."

"We all do," said Peter, placing a comforting hand on Tom's shoulder.

"Thank you Peter, and thank you all for such a wonderful gift. I do not deserve such amazing friends."

Then it was Severus's turn to open his gifts and Haddy's stomach was in knots. He had had a hell of a time trying to figure out what to get him.

"A Runespoor!" Severus exclaimed, "how on earth did you come across one of these?"

"Hagrid, how else," Haddy replied with a chuckle, "he overheard me joking with Draco that maybe I should just try and breed a basilisk as a gift for you. He told me off for even joking about doing something so dangerous and illegal but said he knew a guy who could get one of these. I know their eggs are very rare potions ingredients so I figured it might be nice to get you one of your own."

"Thank you Haddy, this is a truly wonderful gift, I assume you've been talking to it?"

"Yes, it told me it's name but I don't know if it translates into English so she said he'll accept whatever you decide."

"And I assume she won't try and kill me in his sleep."

"No, she's happy to be with someone who can talk to her, apparently it can be very boring living in a cage even when you have three heads."

"That may be Haddy, but you are not going to be living with it."

"Then I guess I'll just have to make sure I visit often, to make sure she's not getting upset, we wouldn't want to risk anything happening to you would we."

Severus smiled and shook his head while Lucius muttered something about Gryffindors being as scheming as Slytherins, causing everyone else to laugh.

"I fear my gift will pale in comparison," Severus said, handing over a small box. 

Haddy opened it to reveal a silver amulet. 

"It's a protection amulet," Severus explained, "I got the idea the other day, it will protect you against low level curses and poisons."

"In the shape of your family crest?" Tom asked, "you really are claiming your mate, aren't you old friend."

"I love it!" Haddy exclaimed, jumping into Severus's lap and kissing him, "thank you so much."

"You are more than welcome, Hadrian," Severus said, his arms around the young man's waist, in no rush for him to move away.


	56. Chapter 56

Once all the presents had been opened and the wrapping paper cleared away everyone got comfortable on the sofas. They had been joined by Fenrir and Remus, who'd been staying at the colony. His friend seemed to be a lot more calm since getting to know others of his kind, more accepting of what he was, its strengths as well as its limitations. Haddy hoped it would go a long way to helping his friend heal.

No one was surprised when Haddy ended up cuddled into Severus's side, Severus's arm wrapped around his shoulder and the Runespoor curled across both of them. It had taken a lot of negotiating, with Haddy hissing at the serpent then translating for Severus, but they had all finally agreed on the name Hestia, after the Greek goddess of the home.

Once everyone had settled Tom began his explanation.

"I'm sure a number of you, at least, have been wondering what I've been up to these last couple of months. It started with the supposed vampire attack in France. Madame Maxine has been putting pressure on the French Ministry to investigate it due to its proximity to Beauxbaton, insisting it must have something to do with the vampire coven. Thankfully it was the same coven that your mother visited, Severus, and Jacques St Clair remembered me and asked for my assistance. It wasn't as hard as I had feared moving about on the continent, there is even less association between Tom Riddle and Lord Voldemort there than here, and I was able to insert myself into the middle of the investigation. I thought I might have to use magic to aid the muggles but it seems there have been some vast improvements in muggle investigative techniques in the last 50 years, I didn't have to do a thing. They were able to determine that the victims had been killed first, before exsanguination, so obviously the vampires were exonerated.

"The vampires were grateful to me, even though all I did was hold the Ministry back until the muggles had finished their investigation. The coven had been worried about the French aurors, apparently their head of division is also anti creature and mates had previously been grievously injured when aurors had been doing so called routine investigations. The vampires had been worried that this time they'd end up going further, using muggle deaths as an excuse, and as thanks they told me that Grindelwald was still alive and imprisoned in Nurmengard Castle in Austria.

"It was surprisingly easy to break into the prison, whether the years had weakened the wards or people just assumed no one would want to break into such a place, nonetheless I found Grindelwald in the top tower, surprisingly well looked after given there wasn't another soul in the place.

"Grindelwald was very interested when I told him we were trying to find a way to move against Dumbledore. It turns out the two of them had been lovers in their youth and had both thought it was preposterous that wizards should cower from muggles. While Grindelwald believed that muggles should be subjugated so he could rule over them, Dumbledore wanted to rule over wizards and muggles alike.

"While Dumbledore was aware he was powerful he also knew that there would come a time when there would be those who would be even more powerful than he was. Grindelwald was an example of that in himself; his mother had been little more than a squib but had had a child with a vampire which was why he was so naturally powerful. It was becoming a growing trend among weaker wizards and Dumbledore knew he would have to put a stop to it.

"He started by mounting a campaign against creatures, labelling them as dangerous and saying they were threatening the wizarding way of life. He used Grindelwald as a scapegoat, saying it was his vampire blood that pushed him to try and take over the world and not a hatred born of persecution.

"He was widely believed, his status cemented in society as the man who defeated the most powerful dark wizard in centuries, his word was taken as gospel. He pushed his way into positions of power and began dictating wizarding society as he saw fit. He knew, however, that there was a chance that future generations may grow stronger than him and subsequently try and stop him so he devised a plan to weaken the magical world as a whole."

"He's been actively encouraging weaker witches and wizards to go to the muggle world instead," Severus interrupted, "I realized the possibility the other day. He sent me to investigate an apparent abusive situation regarding a Mr Dean Thomas the night of the Yule ball. I assume Albus was only trying to delay me, to show deeds of doubt about Hadrian and I, as Mrs Thomas seemed to think I had come round for tea and to discuss her son's education.

"While I was there, however, I noticed an amulet around her neck, clearly magical in origin, given to her by her first husband, Mr Thomas's real father. It took me some time to figure out who he was, even after seeing photos and hearing his name.

"It turns out his name was Albert Moody, although he'd used the name Moony with Mrs Thomas, a cousin of Alastor Moody, not strong enough to attend Hogwarts so he went to the muggle world to try and find a place in society."

"Quite, Severus," Tom continued, "the same had happened with my grandparents. Grindelwald and Dumbledore knew that while the odd muggle in a family line wouldn't cause too much damage, possibly even give the line a boost, generation after generation of mixing with muggles would weaken the line considerably."

"It's genetics," Draco said, "Hermione's been explaining it to me. I'm still learning a lot of it but basically muggles would now be able to prove how an increase of muggle genes would weaken the dominant magic ones over time and increase the chances of a squib being born."

"Precisely, Draco, and that was Dumbledore's plan all along. By reducing the strength of the wizarding population, and by reducing their ability to defend themselves thanks to poor defense training, he makes himself indispensable should another dark wizard rise up," Tom indicated to himself, "Grindelwald said Dumbledore's dream is to be the new Merlin, a wizard remembered for centuries to come, and everything he has been doing has been to achieve that goal."

"I fear we may be too late," said Lucius, "he has such a strong foothold; we may be able to chip away at his credibility but I don't think we'll be able to overthrow him completely."

"You can't give up papa," exclaimed Haddy, "not when we've been making such headway. If we stop now he'll have won and who knows what he'll do. I refuse to go back under that man's thumb and I'll do everything I can to prevent it."

"Interesting you should say that," Tom said, "one other thing Grindelwald mentioned was that he was a seer and had had a vision of Dumbledore's downfall. He had not been able to see the man's face but what knew was the man was the heir of the house of Black. I believe that is why Hadrian was stolen in the first place,likely Lysander as well, if there is no Black heir then there is no one to stop him."

"Oh great," huffed Hadrian, "another prophecy where I have to save the world."

Tom chuckled, "not necessarily Hadrian, Grindelwald simply said you were there at Dumbledore's downfall, he didn't say you had to orchestrate it, I checked."

Haddy breathed a sigh of relief. 

"I quite agree," Severus said, dropping a kiss to the top of Haddy's head.

"So when are we going to take down the bastard then?" asked Rabastan, "and don't moan at me about language, Bella, the boys are 16 I'm sure they've heard much worse by now."

"I believe the slow and steady approach is still best," Tom said as Lucius nodded in agreement, "the loss of the werewolf attacks was a strong blow to his narrative and as we obviously have the support of the magical creatures, including the vampires now, we need to keep showing wizards how wrong he is on that front; he'll likely start messing up the more he fails."

"Hermione also had the idea of producing leaflets to try and tackle some of the misconceptions about creatures," Draco offered, "she said they're often used as information tools in the muggle world, and if we market them as study guides and aim them at teenagers, especially with people gearing up for exams, it might go a long way to changing people's attitudes."

"An excellent idea, son," said Lucius, "and remind me to give Miss Granger my thanks next time I see her."

"Yes," agreed Tom, "that idea is quite inspired. Teenagers usually have the most malleable minds and if we can convince them at least we know we will be helping future generations."

The group sat around making plans as to how to move forward; Draco was getting himself deeply involved, knowing he wanted to follow in Lucius's footsteps, and was happily offering ideas, happy that their father and Tom were listening to him. Haddy didn't see the point of getting involved as none of the plans would involve him for once and he knew Draco would fill him in on any pertinent information at a later date; at the moment he was far too comfortable snuggled up with Severus to care about anything.

Several guests came to the door throughout the evening to drop off presents. Haddy was happy to see Marcus and Oliver, who stopped by between visiting their parents, as well as several Weasley brothers, although George had decided to stay with Angelina Johnson's family and Charlie with the Parkinson's which of course led to bets of who would be married first when they were invited in a drink, in a separate room to the former death eaters of course.

The surprise of the evening was that Bill had accompanied his brothers for the visit. Apparently Molly was being a nightmare over Fleur and he had jumped at the chance to get out of the Burrow as well as the opportunity for being an arse to Haddy. Haddy obviously wasn't at all shocked to hear of Mrs Weasley's behaviour although he kept his thoughts to himself and graciously accepted Bill's apology.

Severus had to say his goodbyes far too soon for Haddy's liking; he had hoped to be able to persuade his boyfriend to spend the night, in separate rooms of course, but a look from Severus told him not to bother even asking. Haddy had to contend with walking Severus to the door, along with a quick snogging session and a reminder that it was only a few days until their date where Haddy would be staying over a Severus's house: Narcissa had worked her magic on her husband as usual, for which Haddy was eternally grateful. Haddy couldn't wait and felt the next few days dragging already. 

The Lestranges were going to be spending the night, however, which meant that Draco was especially happy, he and Lysander had been growing close, especially since Draco's night in Gryffindor tower, and the boys managed to persuade their parents to let them all stay in the one room. They stayed up late into the night, playing games and chatting while eating sweets they'd received for presents. No one was surprised when the boys didn't wake up till nearly lunchtime the next day.


	57. Chapter 57

Haddy was up early on the 28th, wanting to give himself plenty of time to get ready. Severus was due to pick him up after lunch and he wanted to make sure he was ready to go; he had an overnight bag to pack after all, not that he seemed to be the one packing it as Draco had gone through it while he was in the shower and changed half the things Haddy had put in there. He hadn't altered his outfit choice for today, however, so Haddy counted that as a win. He had been a little worried that Draco might be upset about him going away, knowing how lonely his brother could get in the large house; he needn't have, Draco was all smiles, happy that Haddy was happy, and joked about having their parents to himself again. Haddy was reminded once again how nice it was to have a family who truly cared about you and couldn't help giving Draco a hug, causing Draco to admonish him for wrinkling both their clothes. 

Severus undoubtedly knew the Malfoy's schedule so turned up promptly at 1:30, just as lunch was being cleared away. Haddy wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms but was aware of his parents, or at least Lucius anyway, and didn't want to do anything that might get this privilege revoked. Narcissa, however, was all smiles as she kissed him on the cheek and told him to enjoy himself, earning a wink from Draco and a frown from Lucius. The pair walked out the manor together, hands clasped, fingers intertwined, and Haddy Haddy couldn't keep the smile off his face as they side-long apperated.

They appeared in a large dingy town and Severus started to appear worried. He had already informed Haddy that the Prince properties had fallen into disrepair, as his grandfather had passed away some years ago and no one had been in the property since. As such, Severus would not have been able to get it to a state for Haddy to visit in time and he was forced to resort to his old family home or cancel the date, which neither of them wanted to do.

Haddy had reminded him that he wasn't expecting anything fancy but even he had to admit the tiny terrace house was smaller than he'd imagined, not that he was complaining as it would just give him the chance to get closer to Severus, literally.

Severus gave him a very quick tour and allowed him to put his things away before they went out. Cokeworth, as a town, had become quite run down over the years since the mill shut down, but did at least have a few amenities which, thankfully included a small cinema. It never showed the latest blockbusters but Haddy didn't mind as he'd rarely had the chance to see any films growing up. There was also only one screen which negated any of the awkward deliberating that sometimes accompanied dates.

Haddy insisted on buying popcorn, it wouldn't be a true cinema experience without popcorn, and they made their way to the back of the cinema, despite the fact that there were only 2 other couples around. The emptiness of the room helped the feeling of intimacy as the lights went down and Haddy couldn't help but shuffle a little closer to Severus. They were watching a movie called The Princess Bride, Severus had said that it had a good mixture of action and romance and Haddy was looking forward to it. Not that he was sure how much attention he would actually be giving to the film with Severus's arm pressed against his. They had put the popcorn between them which meant their hands kept brushing as well.

The film had ended up being more compelling than he'd realised and he was actually able to follow it closely although by the end of the film his head was on Severus's shoulder and they were holding hands. He tilted his head as the credits began to roll and was able to get a quick kissing session in before the lights came up, not that anyone seemed to pay any attention to them even after they did.

They walked back to Spinner"s End, the road where Severus lived, hand in hand. Haddy was definitely enjoying being with Severus outside of school and wished they could be like this every day, just enjoying each other's company. The house was as small and sparse as Severus had mentioned and Haddy did his best to reassure him that everything was fine, if anything Haddy found the close quarters quite handy as he was never very far away from the man. The only problem as far as Haddy was concerned was that the kitchen was so small he couldn't stay in there when Severus was cooking. Haddy had learned to appreciate the majesty of Severus when he was brewing potions so he'd been looking forward to watching him cook. He had to make do with seeing what he could through the living room door although he did have a good chance to look around Severus's abundance of books. Unsurprisingly there was a vast quantity of potions texts, from ancient to modern in a variety of languages. There were also texts on every magical subject but a lot on muggle subjects as well, especially the sciences.

Severus transfigured a couple of tables so they could sit on the sofa to eat.

"Oh my God Severus this tastes amazing, what is it?"

"Salmon with a strawberry and balsamic reduction. It's not overly complicated."

"Really because it sounds and tastes fantastic. I figured you'd be good at cooking but I never expected this level, I'm so glad we didn't go to a restaurant."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it so much, I was worried about making something suitable in such a small space. Hopefully you'll like the pudding as much."

Haddy grinned, "you really are pulling out all the stops. You know you don't need to try so hard to impress me."

"Maybe I want to, Hadrian."

Pudding was individual hot chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream and Haddy was in heaven. He was stuffed having completely cleared both his plates and wasn't even able to do the washing up as Severus insisted on using magic. 

"The only problem now," Severus said, "is that there is nothing for us to do now."

"You could always read to me," Haddy suggested. 

"Really?"

"Yes, I love the sound of your voice, I could listen to it all day."

"Well if you insist."

Severus decided to read The Three Musketeers, another one of his favourites, and Haddy got himself settled on the sofa with his head in Severus's lap. With Severus's deep voice rumbling above him, his fingers carding gently through Haddy's hair as Haddy's head was comfortably resting in Severus's lap, it was long before he was dozing off and Severus took that as a cue they should get ready for bed.

Haddy had been sent upstairs to change and wash up. He was just getting ready to settle down into bed when he realised Severus still hadn't come up so went downstairs to see what was going on.

"Are you not coming up to bed?" Haddy asked while taking in the sight of the man dressed in just some pyjama bottoms.

"No Haddy, I'll be sleeping down here tonight."

"But why? I thought the point of me staying over was so we could cuddle up. I looking forward to getting the chance to sleep next to you."

"I know Haddy but I'm worried we won't be able to control ourselves around each other, especially after that time in the chamber, I don't want to risk things going too far."

"I know I'm only a teenager but I do have some control." Severus simply hummed in doubt. "It's true," Haddy said, walking up to Severus and running his hands down his chest, "if I didn't I'd have jumped you already."

"That doesn't fill me with confidence, Hadrian."

"It should, you're very tempting like this. But even still," Hadrian pressed himself against the other man, bringing his arms up around his neck and looking up into Severes's eyes, putting on his best pleading look, "you did promise we could spend the night together."

Severus groaned as Haddy's fingers began playing with the hair at the back of his head. "You're not going to give up on this are you?"

"Nope, I've been looking forward to this since we arranged it."

Severus sighed, "Fine, but if you can't keep your hands to yourself I'll be coming down here and locking the door so you'll be stuck up there till the morning."

"Ok," said Haddy, pressing a kiss to Severus's lips, "I'll keep my hands to myself, but you'd better not be too long, I won't be held responsible for what happens if I have to come back down here." Haddy could have sworn he heard something Severus muttering about having created a monster as he doused the fire but he couldn't be sure.

Haddy got himself into the bed and didn't have to wait long until Severus was crawling in next to him and turning him into his side.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm putting you in a position where you can do the least mischief, Hadrian," Severus explained while wrapping his arms around Haddy to be able to hold his hands. "Now go to sleep, brat." He might have been grumbling but he still placed a kiss on Haddy's temple.

Haddy snuggled back into the embrace; it felt a little strange to be lying with someone like this but so comfortable at the same time he couldn't help but sigh, already half asleep.

"This is perfect Severus, good night, love you."

Severus suddenly stiffened behind him as Haddy realised what he'd accidentally said.

"Goodnight, Hadrian, go to sleep," was all he said in reply but Haddy knew something was off, as if Severus had pulled away slightly.

Not wanting to leave Severus upset he wriggled out of his embrace to turn around. "What is it, what's wrong Severus, and don't say nothing because I know you well enough now to know that's a lie."

Severus sighed, "fine, but don't feel you need to say things like that. You're my mate, I'm here regardless, there's no need for you to try so hard."

"I'm not trying anything. I may not have been planning on saying that yet but that doesn't make it less true. I know I'm young but I genuinely can't imagine being in this situation with anyone else." Haddy grabbed Severus's face to look him right in the eye. "I love you Severus Snape and that's the truth so don't push me away."

Severus surged forward, smashing his lips into Haddy's, forcing deep kisses. It wasn't long before they were both panting, breathless. 

"If you haven't realised yet," Severus said, trying to catch his breath, "I love you too."

"That's good to know," Haddy replied, pushing Severus back before attacking his neck. He took his time guzzling, kissing and nipping, making his way up to Severus's ear. "God, I love you so much," he whispered, his hands roving all over Severus's bare chest as his mouth continued working on his ear, sucking the lobe into his mouth before working its wah back down the man's body. 

Severus was making such delicious sounds, moaning and groaning as Haddy explored the flesh beneath him. Severus's hands found their way into Haddy's hair,guiding his head to new delicious spots. Haddy found the man's nipples and began to play with them, rolling one between his fingers as he used his tongue to play with the other. He alternated between sucking and pinching until they became hard, puckered nuns, Severus becoming a writhing mass beneath him.

"Are you always such a tease, Hadrian?"

"I don't know, Severus," replied, working his way further down Severus's chest to his navel, wondering what would happen if he licked it.

Severus near jumped off the bed as Haddy's tongue dipped into his belly button which only encouraged Haddy to give it more attention, licking and nibbling around the edge before spearing his tongue into the divit.

"Oh, God," Severus groaned, his fingers digging into Haddy's scalp, "I think you're trying to kill me."

"Definitely not," Haddy breathed across the now moistened flesh. He looked down at Severus's erection tenting his pyjamas, a damp spot forming from the tip. Haddy licked his lips, remembering the taste from their last encounter. "Can I taste you? Please, Severus, you said I had to keep my hands to myself and I really want to have you in my mouth."

"Fuck! Hadrian, you have no idea what you do to me."

"I'll take that as a yes," Haddy said, pulling Severus's pyjama bottoms down to release his cock. Precum was dripping liberally from the tip and Haddy ducked his head down to give it a lick.

Severus groaned, fisting his hand in the sheets. Suddenly his eyes flew open and quickly reversed their positions. 

"If we're going to do this, Hadrian, then I feel the need to taste you as well."

Settling into his side, he pulled Haddy around until their heads were level with each other's groins. Haddy couldn't help but stare at the long cock in front of him and brought his hands up to grasp it almost reverently before drawing it between his open lips.

It felt heavy against his tongue as he wrapped his lips around the head and gave an experimental suck. He could taste the bitterness and was glad they were lying on their sides as neither of them could thrust and Haddy was having a hard time trying to take all of Severus's length. He was also having a hard time remembering everything he'd read about giving head with Severus sucking his cock at the same time. The suction felt amazing but was very distracting as he was trying for some sort of technique.

Severus was doing something wonderful with his tongue that was turning Haddy's brain to mush. Giving up on any sort of finesse himself, Haddy instead just tried to take as much in his mouth as he could, swallowing past his gag reflex as he sucked. He figured he must be doing something right as Severus was gripping his legs hard enough to leave bruises.

His head was swimming, he could feel the pressure coiling. His release was imminent and he tried to pull off to warn Severus but he suddenly felt an immense level of suction on his cock that caused him to explode down Severus's throat. His brain turned to mush at the intensity of the pleasure he felt. He tried to get his brain to work again enough to try and return the favor for Severus but all he could do was swallow around the large cock, trying to take it further down his throat. He felt Severus pulling away but Haddy held on tight, wrapping his lips around the head of it as he dipped his tongue into the slit. Severus must have liked that because suddenly there was thick fluid squirting down his throat making him choke a bit.

"Oh my God Haddy I'm sorry, I tried to pull away, are you alright?"

Haddy wiped his mouth, "yeah, that was just a bit more intense than I realised it would be." He tried to sit up but his arms fell out from under him, boneless, as if to emphasise his point. Severus cast a quick cleaning spell and helped Haddy settle back at the top of the bed.

"Was that an acceptable experience for you?" Severus asked as he settled Haddy against his side. Haddy mumbled an agreement as he snuggled into Severus's chest, already half asleep. Severus chuckled and wrapped Haddy up in his arms. "Goodnight angel, sleep well."


	58. Chapter 58

Haddy thought he was still dreaming as he felt the firm chest beneath his cheek, slowly rising and falling, until he remembered what they had done the night before and smiled: that had been far better than any dream he'd had so far. The grin that split across his face made his cheeks hurt but he didn't care and snuggled closer to Severus, happy to feel the man's arms tighten around him in response. He'd ended up falling asleep on Severus's chest, his leg was now draped across Severus's and he could feel the man's morning glory, his own pressing into his hip.

Feeling a little cheeky he began to stroke Severus's chest, trying to remember all the sensitive spots he'd found the night before. He kept his touch as light as he could, enjoying making Severus squirm in his sleep.

At least Haddy thought Severus was asleep until he suddenly found himself flipped onto his back, pinned onto the bed.

"I do believe it's my turn," Severus said, causing Haddy to gulp. Severus raised an eyebrow, "ah, yes, I do remember something about handcuffs once upon a time." All Haddy could do was nod his head, his mouth suddenly very dry. Severus smirked before whispering a spell and Haddy felt ropes snake around his wrists, binding him to the head board. His cock twitches when he tested his bindings and felt how secure they were.

"I guess I don't need to ask if that's okay," Severus said, his eyes never leaving Haddy's chest but still noticing his reaction, "however if I do anything you don't like I need you to say red and I will stop straight away. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Haddy crooked, surprised he was able to make any noise at all as his throat felt like a desert.

"Good boy." Severus slowly unbuttoned Haddy's pyjama top and spent some time just looking, taking everything in. Haddy felt a bit uncomfortable under his intense gaze and began to squirm until a withering look from Severus had him stilling. 

"That's better, now stay still while I get a good look at you. I want to know what I'll be getting out of this arrangement."

Fingers soon followed eyes, his touch gentle and teasing, simply testing. Haddy felt like he was on display under such intense scrutiny but found he didn't actually mind, in fact he found himself shifting to allow Severus better access.

"I always said you liked attention," Severus said, his eyes never looking up from Haddy's chest despite having noticed his movements. 

"Apparently I'm just picky about who I want giving me the attention."

"Lucky me," Severus replied before suddenly biting Haddy's nipple,making him gasp in pleasure and surprise.

Severus pulled back a bit, obviously waiting for Haddy to say something, "that felt good, a bit like nipple clamps."

"Since when have you used nipple clamps, Hadrian?"

"Since the summer. Draco and I found a sex shop and we each bought some bits that we were curious about."

"In that case I definitely need to see what you bought although I assume it was all for solo use."

"Mostly, yes. I didn't think I'd ever have a chance with you."

Severus's hands stilled as his head snapped up to look Haddy in the eye, staring at him as if to assess the veracity of that statement before diving in for a heated kiss. "I didn't believe you would ever return my affections either, thankfully we were both wrong."

They smiled at each other and Severus gave him one more kiss before resuming his exploration.

Haddy's nipples were tweaked, when he sighed Severus pinched them both hard and pulled causing Haddy to gasp and arch off the bed again. Severus hummed then scratched down his sides deep enough to leave marks. Haddy shifted again, his legs falling slightly further apart in invitation. 

"You do seem to like pain," Severus observed, "I wonder how you'd like to be spanked?"

Severus caressed Haddy's backside to emphasize his point and Haddy groaned. "God, yes please Severus. I've been dreaming about that for months. Dream about you bending me over your desk."

Severus didn't give Haddy the chance to continue, once again shoving his tongue down Haddy's throat.

"You need to stop talking like that, Hadrian," Severus said once he'd pulled back, "or this will be over far too soon."

"So long as we can come back to it later, I get the idea you're as interested as I am."

"Oh definitely Hadrian, but first things first," he then began sucking around and tongue fucking Haddy's belly button.

Haddy groaned and began bucking up.

"Easy, now, pet," Severus said, holding Haddy's hips down, "don't spoil my fun by getting carried away."

"Sorry, Severus, it just feels so good."

"Glad to hear it, Hadrian," Severus said, continuing his exploration of Haddy's chest, and it wasn't long before Haddy was an incoherent babbling mess.

"Please, Severus," Haddy begged, although he wasn't sure what he was begging for. 

Severus looked at him and nodded, "I suppose I've tortured you enough." He eased Haddy's pyjama bottoms down and smeared the precum that was already leaking all over the length of his cock. Taking his own out, Severus wrapped his hand around both and started to pump. Haddy tried to push up into his grip but Severus shifted so his legs held Haddy down. "Easy, Hadrian, I'm in charge this time, remember."

"Sorry, Severus, want to touch you too."

"Do you? Because from where I'm looking you're enjoying being restrained a lot." 

Severus wasn't wrong, Haddy thought, everytime he felt the restriction in his movement he felt the pleasure coil tighter.

"Yeah I like it, but want you to enjoy it too."

"Oh don't worry about that. What more could I want than having you entirely at my mercy."

Haddy groaned as he felt himself edging closer to completion.

"So close, Severus, I'm so close."

Severus didn't answer but sped up his movements, sitting up and staring at Haddy. Their eyes locked and Haddy found himself getting lost in their dark depths, unable to look away even as he felt himself climax, Severus following several seconds behind, collapsing on Haddy afterwards.

A muttered spell cleaned them up first then another released Haddy's arms. Severus rubbed them gently as he cuddled him into his chest.

"Are you okay, Hadrian?"

"Perfect, thank you, though I could probably doze off again."

"Hmm, what time do you need to get back?"

"Mama didn't give a time, but papa was adamant that I could only stay over one night."

Severus chuckled, "of course he did. I don't want to push our luck by returning too late but I suppose we do have time for a nap followed by a late breakfast, I have the ingredients to make waffles in the fridge."

"Sounds perfect," Haddy said, snuggling into the same position he had been in the night before.

Haddy was woken up sometime late morning to gentle kisses and could help the indulgent smile he gave his lover before returning the gesture.

True to his word, Severus made waffles with maple syrup and Haddy was happy, getting to watch his man at work as he was on tea duty, interested to note that they both took their tea dark, no sugar.

Breakfast was a leisurely affair followed by a stroll round the local park and lunch at a pub. Haddy hadn't been able to stop smiling all day, and neither had Severus, but all good things had to come to an end and eventually they had to return so Haddy could pack his things ready to go home.

"Do I have to leave?" Haddy asked while they were kissing on the bed, having gotten distracted while collecting his things from the room.

"Yes, I'm afraid you do, your parents would have my guts for garters if I don't return you."

"It's a shame, it was wonderful getting to sleep in your arms, it's going to feel empty having to go to bed alone. I'm going to miss you."

"I know angel, but I'll be seeing you again for new year's so there isn't long to wait. I'm going to be staying over so maybe you can show me some of the toys you've got."

"Really? I thought you said we weren't allowed to do anything at the manor because papa would go ballistic."

"And we won't, I just want to get an idea of the sorts of things you like. You already told me you fantasised about me spanking you in the classroom, I assume we're alone in said fantasy by the way."

"Yes we're alone, I don't think you'd do what you do after if there were other students present."

"Oh really, what do I do after I've spanked you."

"You start fingering me, slowly, stretching me open. It feels so good imagining it's your lovely long fingers in there."

Severus groaned. "From the sounds of it this is something you've thought about often."

"Since the first time I fantasised about a guy, it's been you. I did try thinking about other people once but it didn't work; no one else turns me on as much as you do."

Severus pulled him close and began kissing in earnest, rubbing their clothed erections together. "Do you ever manage to find that special spot inside you."

"Sometimes but it's easier when I use the dildo."

"God, I can just imagine you now, kneeling on the bed with your arse in the air, fucking yourself open with a big dildo for me."

"I want to be ready for when you take me Sev, I even wore a butt plug to lessons sometimes, in case my fantasy should ever come true and you decided to fuck me over that big desk of yours."

"Oh God," was all Severus could say as his hands slipped inside Haddy's trousers, grabbing his arse as they rutted against each other. Severus began groping the taut globes, nuzzling Haddy's neck as he pushed back into Severus hands causing his finger to slip into the crack. 

It was Haddy's turn to moan as Severus brushed against his entrance. He pushed back again trying to get it inside him but Severus kept his touch light, just circling the furled edge as he sucked a spot on Haddy's neck. Haddy was just starting to feel a pressure at his hole when there was a scratching sensation on his neck and he was suddenly pushed off the bed.

"What was that for?" Haddy asked as he got up, but one look af Severus explained it; the man's fangs were drawn and he was panting with exertion, obviously trying to get himself back under control. "I'm sorry, are you ok, is there anything I can do?"

"It's fine, Hadrian, I just need a moment, but I think that is our cue to get you home. I apologise for getting carried away."

"No need to apologise, Severus, you know I'm ready to take that step whenever it happens."

"No Haddy, it is too soon yet. One day, though, when we're both sure and Lucius won't flay me."

Haddy chuckled and obediently finished packing, trying to think of ways he might push Severus's 'no sex at the manor' rule. He wanted to make the most of the holidays as who knew how many opportunities they would have once they got back to school.


	59. Chapter 59

Haddy was very glad Severus would be getting ready at the manor before going to the Zabini new year's party so they wouldn't have to worry about interfering headmasters. They had been informed the old coot would be in attendance as well so they were all making sure to put on a good front. Both he and Hermione would be staying at the manor after; she was coming back from her grandmother's early so she could attend. Draco was ecstatic, they were an official couple now so Draco was taking extra care with his appearance which, apparently, meant he'd been getting ready since breakfast. Haddy wasn't much better, having gone through several sets of robes before deciding on the midnight blue with silver detail, his first choice, as it brought out his colouring and would go nicely with the black that Severus would likely be wearing. Of course it helped that these robes had a high collar to help cover the hickey Severus gave him a few days ago. Severus had cast a concealment charm on it before Haddy had come home but that had worn off long ago and he didn't want to ask his parents to replace it as they might ask too many questions. The bruise had started to heal but that wasn't necessarily better; the yellow seemed to show up even more on his skin than the initial purple and Haddy was very conscious of it. Pansy had come round to get ready with Hermione and Narcissa, wanting to make the most of all the muggle products they'd received over Christmas. As it was, Severus and Lucius were the only ones not busy primping when Haddy was finally done with his own preparations.

Severus smiled at him when he entered the library. Haddy walked up and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I'm glad to see you too are closer than ever," Lucius said as Severus wrapped his arm around Haddy, pulling him into his side, "but promise me you won't rush anything. I only got you back this summer Haddy, I don't want to lose you yet."

"Don't worry papa, you won't lose me, even after Severus and I get married."

"Who said anything about marriage?" Severus asked coolly.

Haddy blanched. "Oh, um, sorry. I just assumed as we'd be bonding eventually that you would want to marry me."

Severus chuckled, "I'm only messing with you Hadrian, I'd be honoured if you would choose to marry me."

"I'd hope so," said Lucius, "don't think I'll let you carry on with my son without making it official. 

Haddy was blushing but as embarrassing as this conversation was it felt nice, like his father was truly accepting his choice in partner even if he was still being a little overprotective.

It was some time before they were all ready to leave, everyone looking incredibly polished and just late enough to be able to be fashionable and make a grand entrance, or so Draco informed him. A portkey had been set up as they were such a large party, with so few of them being able to apparate yet, but Haddy still took the opportunity to stay close to Severus, not that the man seemed to mind.

The Zabini house was splendid, gold and jewels seemed to gleam from every direction making Haddy squint against the brightness. Draco, in silver robes with gold trim, with Hermione, dressed in a coordinating gold and silver, seemed to fit in with the decor perfectly, almost as if Draco had had advanced warning. The group greeted their hosts and Lysander, who'd been there from the start as Blaise's date, and soon split off to make the rounds. 

Pansy went over to the Weasley's, thankful a group of tall red heads were so easy to spot even in this crowd. Lysander has informed him that Bill and Fleur had been added to the guest list after Draco had informed Blaise of the eldest Weasley's recent estrangement. Thankfully Mrs Zabini had been more than happy to welcome such a promising young member of Gringotts as well as a renowned beauty such as Fleur, especially as she was now happily engaged to Bill and so wouldn't get in the way of her search for husband number 8.

Lucius and Narcissa made a beeline for the minister, with Draco and Hermione on their heels, as representatives of the family. Haddy was grateful as he might get away without having a run in with Fudge at all but he doubted even his luck would stretch that far. For now though he was happy to stick to the edges, on the arm of his boyfriend, greeting friends and well wishers as they passed, and counting down the minutes until they might be able to slip out onto the balcony for a make out session without being impolite.

Unfortunately for him that would likely be some time away as there were more people than the minister of magic that wanted to be seen conversing with the newest edition to the Malfoy family and saviour of the wizarding world. 

"Hadrian Malfoy," called Patrick Boot, father of Terry and high standing member of society due to his family connections, or so Severus discretely informed him, "Horace was just informing us of a boon of Basilisk parts he got access to thanks to you. Did you really kill a beast like that after defeating the dark lord?"

"Not after, sir," Haddy replied, "I defeated the basilisk back in my second year."

"Preposterous," exclaimed Algie Longbottom, "you can't expect us to believe a mere child took on such a monstrous beast."

"What else could explain why the attacks on the students suddenly stopped?" Severus drawled. 

"The headmaster of course," said Algie, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"Unless professor Dumbledore is a secret parselmouth I fail to see how that is possible," Severus explained.

"Are you saying the headmaster's been lying all these years?" Xenophilius Lovegood asked. Narcissa had called in a favour to get him on the guest list and Haddy began to wonder if there was some kind of plot afoot.

"I don't know if I'd say that," Haddy said, "as I don't know what the headmaster's been saying, but I battled the basilisk at the end of my second year. I wasn't alone though, Falkes the Phoenix came and scratched out the things eyes and brought the sporting hat so I could pull out the sword of Gryffindor."

The assembled men looked thoroughly impressed while Severus looked mildly smug about his partner's exploits. 

"Would I be able to get an official interview," Xenophilius asked, to which Haddy nodded, earning a kiss on the top of his head from Severus so he assumed that was the right thing to do. They bid the group farewell and continued around the room, confident the story would have gone round several times before the end of the night.

They were stopped many more times throughout the night by various people asking all sorts of questions. From Haddy's supposed Bulimia; utter nonsense, he was half starved by his supposed relatives; to his torture at the hands of Umbridge, thankfully he still had the scars as proof although Severus seemed to have a hard time looking at them. The overarching theme seemed to be poking holes in Dumbledore's lies and the man in question seemed to be keeping a low profile throughout. Funnily enough there were other questions regarding his father's plans for setting up various businesses in the wizarding world, he heard talk of cinema, bowling and a spa, to which he replied they were very true and good investments should anyone be interested.

Severus managed to bribe him into a couple of turns around the dancefloor with the promise of taking a break somewhere quiet after and Haddy insisted it would be a long break; he understood what his parents were doing but he found all the attention very draining and needed to recharge. The upside was that they'd been greeted as a couple by everyone they'd seen and had received nothing but congratulations: although the comments about how strange it was to see Severus smiling so much always made Haddy chuckle. 

Apparently even Draco and Hermione had been making waves, not only as such an unlikely couple, but with how outspoken they were on a number of topics including the better integration of muggleborns into wizarding society. They both agreed the lack of information Hogwarts sent out with their letters was laughable, how was a muggle supposed to realise how to get into Diagon Alley let alone get their supplies, and that it might help people like Dean Thomas realise their true heritage, Severus having informed the family of the boy's father's true heritage. The rumours were already abound about who might not actually be a muggleborn and talks of universal inheritance tests for all Hogwarts students, something Lucius was strongly pushing amongst the governors.

The library was blessedly quiet with everyone packed to the gardens, ready to watch the midnight fireworks, a muggle tradition the Zabinis were more than happy to steal. As it was, Haddy was happily sat straddling Severus's lap in the darkened room, oblivious to the countdown as they made out.

"You know, there's a muggle superstition that if you kiss someone at midnight you'll stay together for the rest of the year," Haddy said between kisses.

"Do you want me to check what time it is?"

"God no, just keep kissing me then we know we're covered."

Severus chuckled but still complied, shifting slightly to get a better angle. Haddy knew they couldn't get too carried away, even Narcissa would frown on them getting each other off at someone else's party, but he wanted to enjoy a bit of time alone with his man. School would be starting soon and their opportunities to be together might be harder to come by. Unfortunately for Haddy it wasn't long before they heard voices in the corridor and had to leave.

They managed to keep a fairly low profile for the rest of the evening, spending time with the Weasley's and the other sixth years. Haddy was over the moon at the fact that Severus didn't leave his side the whole evening and he was pretty sure he was grinning like a loon at that.

Soon enough it was time to leave and Haddy was buzzing despite the late, or rather early hour, and the fact that he'd been yawning his head off for at least the last hour. Severus and Hermione were going to be spending the night at the manor: Hermione because of the port key and Severus because there was to be another former death eaters meeting the next day and there didn't seem much point in going just to come back.

Haddy knew they couldn't do much for fear of upsetting Lucius but he was hoping Severus would be up for spending a bit of time together, after all the man had said he'd wanted to see some of Haddy's toys the last time they met so Haddy had made plans. If all went well they could continue when they got back to school. Severus had already said they could kiss outside of school hours so maybe Haddy could persuade him to do something more.


	60. Chapter 60

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this next chapter is pure smut with some BDSM elements. If you're not interested in that feel free to skip; there is absolutely no plot in this one unless you count Sev getting to see how kinky Haddy actually is.

When they got back to the manor they all said a quick goodnight before retiring to bed. Haddy lay tossing and turning in bed and wished he had a marauders map of the manor so he could tell if parents were in their room yet: he might have to ask Remus and Peter how they made it.

Haddy waited as long as he dared, not wanting to accidentally fall asleep, before sneaking out of bed and making his way to Severus's room. He'd decided to take some of his toys with him: a prostate massager, handcuffs and a paddle. He'd put in a slim butt plug, wanting to get a start on things to save time but wanting the chance to feel Severus's fingers inside him. He'd had a cock ring on since the start of the evening,he'd been half hard all day at the thought of what they could get up to tonight and he hadn't wanted to risk wrecking his robes by getting too excited.

He always liked it when he held off his orgasm; he'd once gone a whole day wearing it, when he'd had double defense. He'd had a particularly difficult time concentrating in that lesson, and had lost a few because of it, but the climax he'd had that night had definitely been worth it.

He pulled his invisibility cloak over him and made his way to Severus's room; he didn't want to accidentally run into Lucius on the way. Thankfully he was comfortable finding his way through the corridors even in the dark: the manor was starting to feel as much a home to him as Hogwarts did and it was starting to sink in that he truly had a family here, no matter what.

Severus's door was thankfully unlocked and Haddy made his way to the bed as quietly as he could. 

"I think we'll have to work on your definition of stealth, Hadrian," Severus said before casting a silencing charm on the room and lighting a candle, "I doubt you'd have made it here if not for that cloak."

"Good job I've got it then," Haddy replied before removing it, revealing that he was naked underneath.

Severus made a shocking sound and seemed transfixed by the sight of the cock ring. "I see you came prepared," he said.

"Well I wasn't sure how much time we'd have and I wanted to make the most of it. I brought some toys as requested," Haddy said, dropping his cache onto the bed.

Severus's eyes went wide at what he saw. "Definitely an interesting collection," he said, testing the quality of the handcuffs. "These leave much to be desired, I'd much rather use magical bindings, much more versatile." He hit the paddle against his palm and it made a very satisfying slapping sound that went straight to Haddy's cock. "This, however, is very interesting," he hit it again causing Haddy to visibly gulp, "very interesting indeed. I take it from this selection that you want to play." Haddy nodded. "Words, Hadrian, or I can't trust you to respond when necessary."

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Severus?"

"I think I'll prefer sir in this situation but Severus will do for now."

"Yes, sir, sorry sir," Haddy stammered, suddenly very glad he was wearing the cock ring or he feared he'd have cum there and then.

"Very good, Hadrian, now get on your hands and knees on the bed." Haddy scrambled to comply, curious as to what would happen next. He felt Severus's hands stroke the backs of his thighs and his arse. "I find I like you in this position, Hadrian but I'm not sure about this," he said, twisting the butt plug.

"I thought I'd get a start on things, sir, just in case, but it's only small, I still want to feel your fingers inside me."

"That may be pet, but you have been highly impertinent this evening so I think you need a punishment before you get a reward. Do you remember the rule last time?"

"If I don't like something I say red and you'll stop immediately."

"Well done, although you forgot to say sir at the end, it appears you need some more training."

"Sorry, sir."

"Irregardless there are two extra rules. If you're not sure about something or need me to wait, say yellow. I will ask periodically for a colour, if everything is ok say green. If at any stage I don't think you're being honest with me we will stop entirely do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, now punishment time."

Before Haddy even had a chance to register what he meant he felt a blow on his backside, right across the plug, causing it to momentarily push deeper inside him, making him gasp.

"Colour?"

"Green, sir."

"Good, now you're going to receive 10 slaps in total, that was the first,I'll count them this time but I'll expect you to do it in future and thank me for every blow, is that understood?"

"Yes sir, thank you sir."

The blows came at a slow, steady pace as if Severus was giving him a chance to respond after each blow. It was definitely harder than Haddy had ever been able to do on himself but he was definitely enjoying it and his cock was leaking in agreement.

After the 10th blow Severus gently stroked over his abused arse to soothe the tender flesh.

"You did very well, pet, how does that feel?"

"Good sir, although I think the plug will leave a bruise."

Severus removed it to examine the damage.

"I believe so, my apologies, thankfully I have some salve I can apply so you can comfortably sit down tomorrow."

Haddy shivered at the thought of still being able to feel the effects of Severus's ministrations tomorrow; as if Severus was branding him as his.

Haddy couldn't see what Severus was doing so jumped a bit when he felt a rough cloth wiping his hole followed by a cool substance being massaged over his backside.

"Ssh, pet, this is just the salve to heal any damage."

The fingers continued to spread the salve all over, concentrating on where the plug had been, occasionally brushing over his entrance. Each time he did Haddy gasped with pleasure, unconsciously shifting to open himself up.

The touches began to happen more frequently, more purposely, and Haddy found himself pushing back, chasing more. Severus seemed to apply more salve before concentrating on the tight ring, rubbing around the edge before pushing slightly in, causing Haddy to moan.

"I take it that's a green, pet," Severus said, thrusting the single digit in and out of his hole.

"Yes sir," Haddy replied, starting to push back, trying to increase the sensation.

Severus eased a second finger in and Haddy moaned in response. "You are enjoying that aren't you pet," he said, scissoring his fingers, "look at how easily you open up for me. You must have been very diligently preparing yourself."

"Yes sir. I wanted to be able to take you straight away."

Severus slid in a third finger and Haddy felt a slight burn at the stretch; not painful, just enough of a burn as warning. It was slightly more intense when it was someone else doing the stretching, probably because Severus was getting deeper than he could with his fingers alone and there was a little less lubrication than he usually used.

Severus suddenly crooked his fingers, hitting his prostate with precision, causing Haddy to cry out. He was once again glad for the cock ring as he would likely have exploded already, if the precum pouring out of his slit was anything to go by.

"Now what is this thing for?" Severus asked, dangling the prostate massager in front of Haddy's eyes.

"It's shaped to press against the prostate and can vibrate at different speeds to stimulate it."

Severus simply hummed, but removed his fingers which caused Haddy to mewl.

"Patience pet," Severus said, stroking his flank soothingly, "we're not done yet, in fact I think you need a lesson. You cock sucking left a lot to be desired last time so you're going to learn how to properly use your mouth to give me pleasure."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I've never done that before, or had it done to me. You were very distracting sir."

Haddy felt a sharp slap across his arse. "No excuses. You will learn how to suck my cock properly and you will remember or you won't be able to do it again, is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good."

Haddy suddenly felt a pressure at his anus before he felt the familiar feel of the massager being pushed into place before Severus turned it on at the lowest setting. He shifted, trying to get more sensation.

"Easy pet, you don't want to get over stimulated."

He walked round to the other side of the bed and Haddy saw that he'd taken his clothes off at some stage. It was the first time he'd seen Severus fully naked and he craned this neck as much as he could to take him all in. Severus stood still, letting him take his fill before stepping closer, his cock bobbing just in front of Haddy's face. Haddy tried shuffling forward but Severus just stepped back.

"One thing at a time. Kiss it first, just the tip, get a taste." Haddy complied, but let his tongue dart out to gather the precum that had started to bead there.

"That's it now take the head into your mouth and suck, using your tongue to massage around. Well done, it's a shame you don't take instruction this well in class. Now swallow, good boy, suck on the tip and you can keep using your tongue, get used to the feel of it in your mouth."

Severus's breath was slowly becoming more laboured and Haddy took that as a good sign.

"Now try and relax your throat, I'm going to push in a bit more, that's it. Now do the same again, keep using your tongue and swallowing, that's it."

Severus began to move his hips, pumping in and out in small movements and Haddy tried to relax to allow the movement, swallowing periodically to stop his saliva from pooling in his mouth.

Severus began to slowly push his penis further into Haddy's mouth. Haddy felt it hit the back of his throat and gagged slightly before swallowing, trying to suppress the reflex. Severus pulled back slightly noticing Haddy's eyes begin to water but Haddy tried to press forward trying to take even more of his prize into his mouth. Severus had to grab his hair to hold him back.

"No pet, don't be greedy, you'll take what I give you."

Severus wrapped his free hand around the base of his cock to stop it from going too deep before he began to fuck Haddy's mouth.

Haddy tried to swallow as quickly as he possible but could still feel drool dripping down his face. Not that he cared, it felt amazing and Severus was moaning above him.

"That's it Hadrian, take it. You're such a little slut for my cock aren't you. I bet you love me using your mouth like this."

Haddy could only moan in response as he felt his arms start to give way.

Severus suddenly yanked him up, his cock coming out of Haddy's mouth with an audible pop. He began to pump his own cock and before Haddy could complain Severus was emptying himself all over Haddy's face.

Haddy was still feeling a little disorientated when the ring around his cock was released and Severus went down on him, swallowing him whole. He screamed with pleasure at the sensation and in moments felt his own orgasm ripping through him as he erupted down the man's throat.

He must have blacked out with the intensity of his climax because he came to, cuddled on Severus's chest. The morning light was beginning to creep through the curtains as Severus stroked his back.

"How are you feeling Hadrian?"

"Amazing," Haddy replied, yawning, "but apparently tired. Maybe I won't keep the cock ring on so long next time."

"Yes, I think we'll build up to that, you gave me quite the scare."

"Sorry, I've never blacked out before but I forgot how much better it is with you."

Severus shifted to be able to be able to kiss him. "I agree angel, you were wonderful by the way, but you should probably get back to your room before someone notices that you're missing."

Haddy groaned, "I wish I didn't have to, I'm comfortable." He snuggled closer to Severus to emphasise his point.

"I am too angel, I find I like having you in my arms, but I wouldn't want to face your father's wrath should he find out I defiled you."

"I'd hardly call it that."

"You might not but many would. Now off with you," Severus said, giving Haddy's shoulder a gentle shove, "but leave your toys, I'm sure I'll find a use for them some other time."

Haddy grinned and gave him a sound kiss, "that's fine I have plenty of other things to play with."

Haddy could help but laugh at the astounded look on Severus's face as he jumped off the bed and grabbed his cloak. He was very glad the party had gone on so late and everyone was still in bed as he made his way back to his room sniggering the whole way.


	61. Chapter 61

The meeting the next day was not what Haddy was expecting. The Lestranges and Tom were nowhere in sight and instead he saw Xenophilius Lovegood and the Weasleys, or at least most of them. The Malfoy's parlour was, in fact, pact with a motley bunch; the Parkinsons and Walden MacNair were sat with Remus and Fenrir congratulating Bill and Fleur on their engagement while the Notts and Bulstrodes were talking with Draco, Hermione and the twins about Lucius's new entertainment ideas. Haddy almost had to pinch himself to make sure this wasn't some sort of strange dream.

The room was packed with people, extra chairs having been transfigured already, so Haddy decided to save space and sit at Severus's feet. It caused a few raised eyebrows, two of them from Lucius, but no one said anything and Haddy was quite comfortable, having grown up sitting on the floor at the Dursley's. He leaned back into Severus's legs and let out a happy sigh when Severus began to play with the hair at the back of his head.

"Aren't we waiting for Yaxley?" Mulciber asked as Lucius moved to the front of the group ready to start.

"No," Lucius replied with a tone of finality, "I have reason to believe he is not loyal to our cause."

"Really?" Bill sounded surprised, "I've never heard mention of him in any meetings." The rest of the Weasley's nodded in agreement.

"I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't spoken with the Brownies that were forced to work on Haddy's estate," Remus said, "but we showed them a picture and they verified it had been Yaxley that had been in charge of them while the estate was supposed to be closed."

"It would make sense that Dumbledore would have more than one spy in our ranks," explained Severus, "and it would also make sense for him not to tell us about each other so he could independently verify information. I always suspected there was someone else but I was never sure who until now."

"I take that to mean you don't believe any of us are double agents?" Percy asked.

"No," Severus said with confidence, 'Dumbledore was taken far too much by surprise at the new year's party for anyone to have leaked any information."

A few members of the group seemed a little put out that they'd been tested but most, the Slytherins especially, nodded as if it was obvious that they would have a test of loyalty before entering into a secret group. Or not so secret if the loud knocking on the door was any indication. Haddy started to panic slightly but Severus calmly patting his head soon calmed him down. If Severus wasn't worried Haddy knew everything was ok even if he had no idea what was happening.

He didn't have to wait long to find out as Minty led Kinsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks into the parlour.

"We have come to search your property," Kingsley announced, "we have it on good authority that there are escaped fugitives hiding here."

"Be my guest," said Lucius magnanimously, "but, out of curiosity, which authority was it that informed you there would be fugitives here, just so I know all the parties involved when I put in my complaints after it turns out you're wrong."

Moody scoffed. "We have it on the highest authority."

"The minister of Magic?" Percy quipped.

"It doesn't matter who sent us," Kingsley stated, "we know that there are fugitives here so rest assured we will be undertaking a thorough investigation and don't worry, the floo has already been blocked from the network and anti apparition fields set up."

"You can't detain us like that without due cause," said Remus.

"We can and we will, you traitor," Moody shouted and Kingsley had to hold him back.

"We shall begin our investigation immediately. I would ask you all to stay in this room, Tonks here will stay and keep watch." With that Kingsley and Moody left to check the property.

Haddy looked up at Severus and saw the hint of a smirk playing around his mouth, he then looked around all the people assembled conveniently in the room and had to wonder how much of this had been planned.

Tonks turned around to face Remus once her colleagues were out of sight. "I'm glad you're here Remus, I've missed you and I was hoping you'd come back home." She sounded very sincere and Haddy almost believed she meant it; Severus tensing behind him and Fenrir's low growl served as a good reminder that she could not be trusted around his friend.

Remus placed a reassuring hand on Fenrir's shoulder to calm his friend, "No Tonks; that is not my home and I will definitely not be going back. My home is with my kind and I'm happy there, far happier than I've ever been. There is nothing you can say that would make me go anywhere with you."

Haddy was proud of the conviction he heard in his friend's voice and started to relax when he caught a calculating gleam in Tonks's eye.

"But surely your home is with your family, Remus," she said, rubbing her stomach in a suggestive way. Haddy got her meaning and so did the rest of the room if the gasps were anything to go by, including Remus who'd gone as white as a sheet.

"Rub your belly all you want, bitch," Fenrir growled, "you're not convincing anyone."

"Are you suggesting the baby isn't Remus's?" Tonks asked, seemingly offended.

"I'm suggesting you're not even pregnant to begin with!" Haddy was glad Bill was sitting next to Fenrir to hold him back as Remus was still too shocked to move.

"That's preposterous," Tonks said dismissively, "anyway, Remus, I was hoping to ask Harry if we could have Grimmauld place, since that's where the baby was probably conceived. He gave the werewolves his estate after all, why wouldn't he want his friends to have somewhere to raise their family." She had sidled up to him and went to stroke Remus's arm but he flinched away.

"You can't just come here and make an announcement like that, Tonks, and expect me to follow you; it doesn't work like that. At the very least I need time to digest this information," Remus announced, having managed to shake himself out of his stupor.

"Your saying you won't help me, you mean to abandon us, that you expect me to raise this child all on my own?" Tonks screeched in disbelief.

"Actually that's probably for the best," suggested Hermione, "that way we can do a paternity test when the baby's born and there's no risk of Remus getting attached only to find out it's not his."

"You've been hanging around Slytherins too much Hermione, and I thought you were my friend, you should be on my side."

"I may have been spending a lot of time with Slytherins but anyone can see your timing is highly suspicious and paternity tests are done all the time in the muggle world, especially if there is even a little doubt over parentage. It's just common sense to make sure." Draco looked proud as he pulled his girlfriend close and dropped a kiss on her head.

"An excellent idea, Hermione," said Lucius, "I don't know what a paternity test is but we could definitely do an inheritance test on the child when it's born, that will tell us of its lineage."

"It's actually common practice on the continent," Charlie said, "especially where it is so easy for people to travel across countries. It's seen as a rite of passage where people can discover their heritage."

"Shut up traitor," spat Tonks, "no one wants to hear from you."

"Actually I think that's very prudent information," said Severus, "Lucius and I have been discussing ways of encouraging inheritance tests amongst the students, in light of the discovery of Mr Thomas's true parentage, and it's good to know the practice is already commonplace in the continental wizarding world as well as amongst muggles."

"Don't be ridiculous as if professor Dumbledore would ever let you get away with that," Tonks said, getting steadily more irate.

Draco looked confused. "I don't see how professor Dumbledore gets a say in whether or not students get tested or not."

"Albus Dumbledore is an upstanding member of society whether you like it or not and it will take more than a bunch of death eaters, traitors and children to take him down."

Lucius smiled, "who said anything about taking him down. This isn't some great conspiracy. We're just a group of family and friends getting together over the holidays as many do at this time of year."

"Do you really expect people to trust you, Lucius Malfoy?" Tonks pulled a face as if the very name left a bad taste in her mouth.

"They'll trust me," said Haddy, still sitting at Severus's feet.

Tonks seemed to do a double take, as if she wasn't sure who he was. Realisation must have hit because a face suddenly softened. "Harry! You look so different these days I hardly recognise you. You and I were always such good friends, I was so happy to find out we're cousins now, a proper family. Let's leave this silliness behind, I'd love to introduce you to mum and dad, you're aunt and uncle, they've been dying to meet you."

"Give it up Tonks, I saw the reports of how you treated Remus, I could never be friends with someone who could do that, it's barbaric!"

"I had to, don't you realise. Remus is a werewolf, they're dangerous if you don't control them. Just look at the recent attacks."

"What recent attacks," asked Xenophilius, "there haven't been any werewolf attacks in months, if that's what they were. Did you ever find any evidence?"

Fenrir chuckled at that causing Tonks to scowl at him. "No, we didn't find any evidence but what does that matter? Everyone knows they were werewolf attacks."

"I don't," said Xenophilius, "and I'm sure many of my readers won't when I write about the incompetence of the author department."

"In the Quibbler? Ha, only crackpot and conspiracy theorists read that trash."

"Actually our readership has gone up quite a bit recently, thanks to Narcissa's interviews and I expect it to go up even more with the piece about young Hadrian's daring battle with a Basilisk at the tender age of 12."

Haddy sniggered, "by the way Mr Lovegood, if you haven't already written the story I'd be happy to do an interview."

"The story is not yet finalized, Hadrian, so I would be happy to do the interview at your earliest convenience."

Haddy had the feeling that even if the story was in the middle of being printed it would have been pulled to publish his interview but Haddy didn't mind if it helped. Severus's hand had tensed slightly on his shoulder and Haddy knew that they would be having a talk later but he was happy to be doing something to help.

The conversation seemed to veer off after that with people splitting off into groups to chat and catch up with each other, as would be expected. Tonks was largely ignored but didn't seem bothered by that fact and parked herself in the middle of the door preventing anyone from leaving. At one stage Fred asked to use the bathroom and was subjected to a rather unpleasant bladder emptying spell usually used by St Mungo's staff for unconscious patients. Unsurprisingly people held off on asking for the toilet after that.

A few hours passed in this manner until the clock chimed 1 and Minty set up a buffet lunch for everyone.

As they went to get food Severus pressed in close behind Haddy, stretching to get some food as he whispered in his ear. "You may regret having agreed to that interview, angel, the prophet will get annoyed if you don't do the same for them."

"I know love, that's fine, the prophet will just want to talk about us and it might be nice to set the record straight on things."

Severus guided Haddy along the line, sticking close to continue the conversation without alerting Tonks. "That may be, but the prophet won't be as kind as Lovegood. Skeeter may seem on our side at the moment but if you give her an inch she'll take a mile."

"I know Severus, I've dealt with her before. Have a little faith in me." Haddy stretched up and gave Severus a kiss on the cheek.

Severus put his hand on Haddy's arm and looked him straight in the eye. "I do have faith in you Haddy, in fact I firmly believe you can do anything you put your mind to, I just don't want you to put yourself in danger: this isn't your battle anymore."

"But it is, though, Severus, do you think they would let us be together if not for all the work of our family and friends. Dumbledore would have had you fired if the public wasn't on our side. I can't stand the thought of you being hurt either you know. I love you, remember."

"I love you too, Hadrian, but don't forget we're in this together."

They smiled at each other for a moment until they got jostled along.

Haddy decided to cuddle up on Severus's lap instead of on the floor, despite how awkward the new position made it to eat their lunch. They even had a go at feeding each other, inciting a variety of reactions; from cooing to mock disgust.

The twins actively started taking bets on when they would get married although it was Bill who questioned which of the new couples would get engaged first, sparking a new round of debate.

It was late evening by the time Moody and Shacklebolt returned, tired and angry having found absolutely nothing in their long search. They left empty handed, with warnings of complaints from everyone and a promise of a retelling of events in this week's quibbler.


	62. Chapter 62

Haddy's interview in that week's Quibbler caused the paper to fly off the shelves to no one's surprise. Xenophilius had conducted the interview himself and had blessedly stuck to asking Haddy about his time at Hogwarts; starting with the Basilisk attack, something everyone was interested in thanks to the potion's class trip, and branched out into some of Haddy's other adventures during his time at the school: his exploits during the tri-wizard tournament took up some time but Dolores Umbridge seemed to be the basis of a fair few questions. Haddy had been surprised at how much of it wasn't general knowledge and how much had been lost in rumours. Each time Haddy answered a question it only seemed to open up more until Xenophilius had an almost endless supply meaning the interview lasted several hours and Xenophilius had enough material to cover several pages.

Lucius was overjoyed with the results with the article, as it called into question a lot of the headmaster's actions which had ended up putting students at risk. They had even included a picture of the scar on Haddy's hand caused by Umbridge's quill. Despite Severus's administration of dittany the words were still clearly visible. It had outraged the wizarding world so much the woman had been fired and an investigation into her opened up; if there was even an ounce of black magic used in her quill it was guaranteed that she would be seeing the inside of Azkaban. 

The article about the auror's raid on Malfoy Manor earned almost as much interest as Haddy's interview, despite only being on page 5, and Xenophilius Lovegood was apparently inundated with letters offering condolences for their suffering and suggesting there should be an investigation into the practices of the DMLE. There were even accounts of the aurors acting in the same way towards other citizens and Xenophilius was contemplating an investigation into their practices.

The Daily Prophet had indeed requested an interview as well, not wanting to be outdone by the Quibbler, but they'd requested a joint interview, with both Haddy and Severus. Draco said it wasn't surprising given how much coverage they had given the couple but that didn't help Haddy who would have to ask the man.

Severus was surprisingly susceptible to the idea; apparently he had been worried how Haddy would hold up under an interview so was more than happy to do the interview with Haddy.

Rita Skeeter was in her element when she arrived at the manor the day before the boy's were set to return to Hogwarts. Severus and Haddy were waiting for her in the drawing room. Lucius had tried to sit in with them but thankfully Rita had insisted they be alone; she believed the couple would be more candid that way. Severus still had to reassure his friend that he had spent years as a spy so even Skeeter wouldn't get on over on him before Lucius would relent.

Haddy had understood where Lucius was coming from as he was starting to feel nervous as the got closer to the time which was why he ended up cuddled into Severus's side on the sofa with Severus's arm wrapped around his shoulder: it was comforting and Haddy brought his own hand up to lace their fingers together, anchoring the arm in place.

"Mr Snape, Mr Malfoy, it's wonderful to see you both again," Rita greeted as if they were old friends and she was the host. Haddy must have tensed at the implication because he felt a slight, reassuring squeeze on his shoulder which caused him to smile, more glad than ever that he wasn't doing this alone.

"It's so wonderful, as well," she continued, "to see a couple so much in love. You've been seen together publicly a few times now but what our readers want to know is have you actually said that special word yet?"

"Which word?" Haddy asked.

"The 'L' word."

"Oh," said Haddy, ducking his head and blushing, "um yes, we have."

"May I ask who said it first."

"That would be me," said Haddy, "I don't think Severus believed me at first, though."

"It's not that I didn't believe you, Hadrian, it's that I wanted to be sure. You are young and have only recently discovered your feelings. Some of us, however, have known about our feelings for years."

"Are you saying you have always had feelings for Mr Potter?" Rita asked. "The animosity between the two of you has been legendary, was it all just an act?"

"On my part at least, yes. I've always known that Hadrian was my mate but I didn't want to burden him with that knowledge."

"So you are confirming, on record, that you are in fact a vampire and Mr Malfoy is your mate."

"Half vampire but yes, Miss Skeeter, I am."

"But I was under the impression that vampires would bond with their mates straight away as it made the vampire stronger?" Skeeter asked.

"I can't say what is true for the vampire community at large as I have not spent any time amongst my mother's kind but it's true that it would make me stronger. There are downsides to bonding, however, which is why we are not rushing things. I want Hadrian to be sure before we do anything permanent," Severus explained.

"May I ask what you mean by downsides, Mr Snape?"

"My parents were bonded but my father grew to hate it when my mother fed from him. It caused a lot of problems in their relationship as my mother had to feed but couldn't go anywhere else."

Rita seemed surprised. "I imagine that led to an unhappy childhood, but do you believe the same will happen between you and Mr Malfoy. He has faced down the dark lord after all, I doubt a bit of blood letting would scare him."

Haddy chuckled which caused Severus to growl at him.

"I am in no doubt as to Hadrian's bravery, there was a reason he was put in Gryffindor after all. He is also incredibly kind and giving, almost to a fault, so I believe he would let me feed from him even if he found it distasteful, which is the main reason I want him to be completely sure before we take that step. Hadrian is only 16 so there is no rush to bond."

"Is that a joint decision? How do you feel about that, Mr Malfoy?"

"I don't mind waiting, it's been nice taking the time to get to know each other properly. Plus Severus is still my teacher and I wouldn't want to make things awkward for him by pushing what some would deem an inappropriate relationship."

"Surely there are exceptions, even at a school like Hogwarts, for mates. The school has been around for centuries, there must have been other couples like you in that time?" Rita asked, almost in disbelief.

"There used to be rules that protected creatures and their mates, I believe Helga Hufflepuff was an ardent supporter of creator's rights. Over the years, however, they have been removed. Apparently not everyone at the school understands what is involved in such a bond, they believe it opens students up to manipulation, as if people can't check to find out if people really are mates," Severus replied.

"Is that why Lucius Malfoy is hoping to bring those protections back in, now that he is a governor of the school again?" Rita asked.

"Yes, papa is very supportive of us, all my family is, which I'm very happy about. It's been wonderful to finally have family and be accepted for who I am and not what I can do for people."

"You were very close with the Weasleys before and Molly Weasley has previously said you were like a son to her. We saw some of the family with you at events recently, are you still close with them, Mr Malfoy?"

"I'm still close with some of the family but others aren't able to accept me or my family and we have consequently fallen out," Haddy said, choosing his word carefully as Lucius had warned him not to be too antagonistic.

Severus scoffed.

"You don't agree Mr Snape?" Rita asked.

"My mate is being far too kind hearted and forgiving as usual, Miss Skeeter. We discovered over the summer that money had been taken from Hadrian's account without his permission and being used to pay for the school fees of the Weasley children and had for years. The goblins at Gringotts have spent the last few months performing a thorough investigation and we hope to discover who was behind the theft shortly."

Haddy became saddened at the reminder of such a betrayal which Severus must have sensed as he shifted round and gently cupped Haddy's jaw to be able to look at him. "I'm sorry if that upset you, angel, but those people betrayed you horribly and that is unforgivable as far as I'm concerned," he whispered.

"I know, love, it just hurts that's all," Haddy explained. "Normally I'm too happy to think about it, I mean I can't believe we're actually with me most days, so it was a bit of a shock when you reminded me of what they did."

Severus gave him a gentle kiss. "I am with you and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon. I also plan to do everything in my power to make you happy."

"You do make me happy already, Severus." Haddy returned the kiss, smiling.

"Ah," cooed Rita, "you two are adorable. Not at all what I would expect from a former death eater and the saviour of the wizarding world. I don't think anyone who saw you could deny how much you love each other, I expect to be announcing your engagement soon."

Haddy blushed but Severus simply smiled. "Not too soon, Miss Skeeter, as I said before, Hadrian is still in school and he is not yet of age. There are rules preventing such a union even if we were to have his family's permission."

Severus wrapped the interview not long after that which Haddy was grateful for. He didn't mind snuggling up on a sofa with Severus but thought there were better things they could be doing than talking.

The article came out in the prophet on the day they were heading back to Hogwarts so everywhere Haddy looked on the train all he could see were pictures of him and Severus sitting together on the sofa, staring lovingly into each other's eyes. Haddy quite liked the picture but it was disconcerting to see copies of it everywhere. He ended up hiding out in a compartment with Lys, Blaise and Luna. Draco had asked Crabbe and Goyle to watch him and they sat either side of the door, scowling at anyone who approached. Haddy knew he'd have to face questions about the article at some stage but definitely preferred to fo it somewhere he could make a run for it if needed.

Draco and Pansy came back after doing their rounds and informed them that the article was being well received; apparently everyone had liked seeing a softer side to the current defense teacher. In fact people were on Haddy's side so much that some students had even decided to attack Ron which was the reason why Hermione wasn't with them; someone had decided to copy her curse from the previous year and she was currently trying to reverse the curse that had caused boils to spell their across Ron's head.

Haddy was relieved and hoped this would allow him to be more open about their relationship when they got back to school. He understood that he couldn't jump Severus at the staff table, no matter how much he might want to, but maybe they could hold hands and kiss in the halls like normal couples without the risk of Severus getting sacked.


	63. Chapter 63

Haddy found the first day back at school hilarious. Even the students at school had seen the article and were congratulating the couple. Severus tried to cast his patented death glare at anyone who dared smile at him but apparently it had lost a lot of its power. Haddy suspected there would be many nasty detentions being dealt out in the next couple of days so he could earn his most feared professor title back. He didn't like the idea that Severus might actually be upset and vowed to check in with the man some time soon, when everyone wasn't quite so interested in their every move.

"It's not fair," Haddy moaned one evening when they were sat at the Slytherin table for dinner, "you guys sneak off for snogging sessions all the time and no one bats an eyelid but I just have to look at Severus and everyone starts staring at us. Would it really be so bad if I walked up to the staff table now and shoved my tongue down his throat."

"Firstly Haddy thank you so much for that mental picture of you and my godfather that I definitely didn't need," Draco grouced, "and secondly, you may be watching uncle Sev but I can see Dumbledore watching you. I'm pretty sure he's waiting for you to do something to reprimand you guys for. Just have patience, papa is going to be attending a governor's meeting next month where they are scheduled to discuss the rights of mated pairs within the school. You'll have much more freedom then."

"That's forever away," Haddy exclaimed, collapsing dramatically onto the table.

Pansy patted him comfortingly on the back. "There, there, Haddy, you just need a little patience. Remember you're not the only one who can't see their boyfriend as much as they'd like."

"I know Pans but at least you can write to him. I'm pretty sure anything I send is going to get intercepted no matter how careful Hedwig is."

"And you're saying you haven't met up with him anyway?" Hermione asked.

"Good point dear," Draco said, "I'm pretty sure your little sleepover wasn't the first time you guys were together, you were nowhere near nervous enough about it for that."

"Yeah, well, there may have been a few occasions but that was before everyone was watching us. I'm worried that people would make assumptions about what we were doing if people realised we had both gone off somewhere."

"Then I guess you'll just have to wait then," said Hermione, too exasperated to indulge in Haddy's pity party.

Every time they passed in the corridors or Haddy had a defense lesson he could feel dozens of people watching to see how they would interact. They would smile at each other and sometimes touch but Haddy hadn't felt comfortable to do anything more in case Severus didn't like it. However, after having seen so much of each other over the break, Haddy was now missing his boyfriend and worried that they might start to drift apart if they didn't spend some time together soon. He ended up lasting two weeks before coming up with a plan for them to secretly spend some time together: thank god for invisibility cloak was all Haddy could say.

It seemed little effort these days to wander unnoticed around the halls of Hogwarts; avoiding popular corridors or any with too many portraits and checking the marauders map periodically to make sure Severus was still in his quarters. Thankfully this wasn't one of the nights he patrolled, he'd had the house elves check the schedule to make sure.

Severus opened the door after hearing someone knocking and was only slightly surprised to find nobody there. Assuming it was Hadrian with his cloak he stepped back and held the door open until he felt something brush against him. Contemplating whether he should be grateful for the thing or not he turned around to see his mate smiling at him: maybe it was worth all those sleepless nights over the years, wondering how the boy could get into so much trouble.

"Hello Severus, I've missed you," he said, walking up and giving him a firm kiss. Severus felt his tension melt out of him as his arms came up around Hadrian's waist and he pulled the boy tight against his chest. He loved having Haddy in his arms and couldn't help deepening the kiss causing him to moan.

Eventually Severus pulled back, "is there some kind of problem, Hadrian?"

"Yes, I haven't been able to do that for weeks."

"You're right, that is a problem, but I wanted to make sure there were no other pressing matters before we got carried away."

"Oh I'll show you pressing matters," said Haddy pushing Severus back onto the sofa and climbing onto his lap before grinding their clothed erections together, "you know I love it when you suck on my tongue like that."

Severus chuckled, "yes, and I love what you're like when I do." They'd had several encounters over the last couple of months and Severus had been steadily cataloguing all of Haddy's reactions: what different things made him gasp, sigh, moan or groan. He was sure he could literally play the boy like an instrument but was always happy for further study. Haddy was always such a responsive lover, Severus found him addictive.

They were just getting into a heavy snogging session, and Severus was trying to decide whether frottage was enough or whether should try and escalate things, despite his hands gripping the firm cheeks of Haddy's arse and pulling him down so they could grind against each other, when there was a knock at the door. Severus wasn't sure he'd heard it at first, too lost in sensation, but when it came louder the second time he swore under his breath.

He motioned for Haddy to be quiet and get back under his cloak, before he opened the door, thankful they hadn't been going long so it shouldn't be too obvious what he'd just been doing.

The headmaster was standing on the other side of the door and didn't bother to wait for an invite before walking into Severus's quarters.

"Good evening Severus, I knew you would still be up despite the late hour."

"To what do I owe the pleasure, headmaster?"

"Just coming to remind you of our little discussion the other day and to make sure you are following the rules."

"So are you going to be checking up on me every night or is there something special about tonight?"

"Oh, I'll probably be stopping by from time to time, to make sure there is nothing untoward going on. I'm afraid Mr Malfoy has ways of getting around this castle that are beyond my control. Remember to send him back to his rooms should he show up here. You are a teacher and must set an example, regardless of anything else, we can't have you participating in an inappropriate relationship. I don't have a say about what happens outside of school, but inside these walls the rules must be upheld." The man had been walking around the room as he'd been talking, waving at thin air, trying to see if he could find Haddy.

"You made that very clear to me the first day back, it's only been a couple of weeks, I haven't forgotten in such a short space of time."

"Maybe not but your partner is somewhat known for breaking the rules and I would hate for him to be expelled. After all, having sexual relations on school property is such a heinous crime even having a father on the board of governors would be unlikely to save him."

Severus had always wondered about that as the only preventative measure seemed to be to stop boys going into the girls dorms which hardly seemed like a deterrent to him but Severus decided to keep his mouth shut on the subject. "I do understand and can guarantee that Hadrian and I will not be having sexual relations on school property so there is no need for you to worry."

Albus hummed, not sounding convinced. "I do hope that is the case, I'd hate to have to lose another defense professor as well."

Severus walked back over to his door and gestured for the headmaster to leave. "If that is all headmaster, as you said it is late and I would like to get some sleep before dealing with tomorrow's installment of dunderheads."

Dumbledore seemed to think of something and dated into Severus's bedroom to check in there. Severus felt a hand stroke against his back and was glad the headmaster never thought to check behind the door. At least the old coot was only working off a hunch and not any actual authority that Haddy was here. Eventually he gave up searching and left with another warning of the consequences should Haddy ever be found in his chambers.

"That conniving bastard," Haddy growled, pulling off his cloak again once the coast was clear. 

"Quite, he pulled me into a meeting as soon as I got back so I hope you understand why I've been keeping my distance a bit."

"I thought it was just because of the attention we were getting but I can't believe the nerve of that bastard."

"You mustn't underestimate him, Hadrian. Albus Dumbledore is no fool and he's starting to feel the pressure. Remember an animal is most dangerous when it feels cornered so we'll have to be extra cautious, at least until your father can get the rules changed."

"So you meant it when you said that we wouldn't be doing anything on school property?" Haddy asked dejectedly.

"Yes I did, which was why I was planning on putting this cloak to good use again next Hogsmeade weekend and apparating with you to my house. That is, after all, not school property."

"Thank you for reminding me of the joys of dating a Slytherin," Haddy said, stretching up to give him another kiss, although this one much lighter than before.

"I fear the headmaster has ruined the mood."

"Yes, I'm sorry, I'm too angry at him to do anything. I promise it'll be better next time."

Severus pulled his mate into a hug. "You have nothing to apologise for. I could never regret spending time with you, love."

Haddy returned the embrace. "I love you Severus Snape and I'll try and think of other ways we can be together. I don't think I can wait that long."

"You're a very resourceful young man, Hadrian, I look forward to finding out what you come up with. Now you'd best get back to your dorm in case anyone decides to do a spot check."

They kissed goodnight and Severus spent several minutes watching an empty corridor, hoping his mate didn't get discovered on his way back.


	64. Chapter 64

The next Hogsmeade weekend wasn't due until February, designed to coincide with Valentine's day to allow for couples to go out on dates. That was weeks away though, and Haddy was desperate to spend some alone time with Severus. They had managed to find the odd corner to grab a quick snog but those moments had been too few and far between for Haddy's liking.

They'd kept everything chaste in front of the rest of the school, so much so that rumours about a possible break up had started. Pansy had insisted that it was still ok as it kept people talking about their relationship and could lead to a touching reconciliation story, but it didn't stop Haddy from getting annoyed especially when he passed new couples happily making out in the corridors and knowing he couldn't because Severus had to 'set an example'. As far as he was concerned the governors meeting couldn't come soon enough.

He'd had words with the house elves about what technically constituted as Hogwarts property and was annoyed to find out that both the room of requirements and the chamber of secrets were out of bounds. He was out of ideas and decided to brainstorm with his friends. Draco had the genius idea of contacting Gringotts and managed to find out Dumbledore had purchased the shrieking shack under a pseudonym, to help keep things secret, but this meant that it was not officially part of the school. Now Haddy just had to plan and maybe he and Severus could have a real treat for Valentine's. After the Runespoor Haddy had been stuck on what to get his boyfriend as a gift but now had an idea for something they would both enjoy which included a night alone in the shack.

Haddy knew Severus was planning on taking him out in the muggle world during the day but they would have to be back in time for supper to stop Dumbledore from making accusations; that didn't mean they couldn't go out again in the night. Severus was meant to be out on patrol, in exchange for him not chaperoning during the day, but Pansy and Draco had already come up with a plan to cover for them thanks to another batch of poly juice. Pansy had jumped at the chance to be Haddy for the night and Draco was looking forward to taking plenty of house points. Hermione had agreed on the proviso that she and Draco could use the shack in the day: apparently she had plans over her own.

I took a fair amount of coordinating between Dobby and Minty but he eventually had the shack ready. He'd even managed to get professor Flitwick to help him with a few spells: Severus had said the man could be trusted and that was high praise as far as Haddy was concerned. His professor had been curious why he would want to learn the incarcerous spell but, to his credit he didn't really question Haddy on it, proving Severus's faith in him.

With everything set up Haddy just had to wait as patiently as he could, and if he 'accidentally' bumped into Severus in the corridors so he could have a quick grope to tide him over then he was sure few would blame him.

Valentine's day itself was on the Thursday which worked out well for some as it gave them time to plan their date but for Haddy it just meant more waiting. He'd opted to send Severus a single rose, a simple 'I love you', knowing the man wasn't fond of ostentatious displays, which was why he was very surprised to receive a bouquet of a dozen in return. The attached note read: 'In case anyone should ever doubt my feelings for you' and Haddy fell a little more in love with him right there. He looked to the staff table and couldn't help blowing his boyfriend a kiss, receiving a wide smile in return which seemed to be enough to shock the population of the school. Apparently people didn't realise Severus's face was capable of forming such an expression.

They both spent the next two days finding any excuse to get close to each other, Haddy had never had so many defense questions that desperately needed answering and Severus made a point of coming and chatting with both twins whenever Haddy sat at the Slytherin table. He would always stand behind Haddy on those occasions and stroke his fingers along the back of Haddy's neck.

Saturday dawned to find Haddy in the bathroom getting ready for his date. He feared Draco was starting to have too big an influence on him as he stood looking at all of his different outfit options and agonising over the fact that he didn't know what sort of restaurant Severus was taking him to. He decided on the leather trousers as it had been a while since he'd worn them and he was hoping to get Severus in the mood. He figured if he teamed them with a shirt then he should be covered no matter where they went. Part of him hoped that it wouldn't be anywhere too fancy so they could finish up quickly and get back to Severus's for a bit of alone time. With that in mind he did a bit of other prep work; he wasn't sure if Severus had actually minded last time but Haddy had definitely enjoyed the consequences.

They met at the front entrance straight after breakfast and exchanged a quick peck as greeting before heading into the village. They had already decided to make themselves very visible on their way in, carrying a picnic basket and Haddy's invisibility cloak wrapped up like a picnic blanket, just in case. Hopefully no one would question not seeing the couple all day and the idea that they were having a picnic in the open should help negate any talk of impropriety.

The headed to the outer edge of the forbidden forest before Severus side-long apparated to an area near the lake district. Haddy was very surprised by their destination.

"I managed to get the old Prince residence up to scratch," Severus explained, "I thought that might be a nicer place for us to go."

"I don't know," said Haddy, surveying the landscape, "I quite liked the other place. It was very cozy." He sidled up to Severus to emphasise his point.

Severus wrapped his arm around Haddy's waist and started leading him down a path. "Don't worry, love, we can still snuggle up but I wanted you to see this place as it will probably end up as our home if you choose to stay with me."

Haddy couldn't believe his ears, to hear that Severus was genuinely thinking about their future like that filled him with such joy he ended up just stopping and grinning at his boyfriend. "I love you so much, Severus Snape."

"Come on, brat," Severus said, pulling on Haddy's arm and turning his head to try and conceal his blush. He grabbed Haddy's hand, lacing their fingers together as he led the way to his estate.

Haddy was given a quick tour of the house, a large Georgian villa that rivalled Haddy's own estate. A lot of work still needed to be done, especially on the upper floors but Haddy was happy to see that the master suite was already done out in neutral colours and dark wood; obviously Severus had his priorities right. They set up the picnic in the orangery, a sort of fancy conservatory typically used to grow more exotic plants. Severus had already set up a number of fruit trees as well as some more decorative magical plants and Haddy could see it being a lovely space once everything was established, especially as it seemed to lead to a small kitchen garden.

A picnic blanket was already spread out, complete with some plush pillows. Severus spread out the food they'd brought then snuggled Haddy into his side. They spent some time discussing ideas for the property and grounds, interspersed with nibbling on their spread, and Haddy was happy that Severus was asking for his input. It was nice to know that this would be a place for both of them and it allowed him to think seriously about their future together.

It didn't take them too long to progress from little pecks to a full snogging session. Haddy assumed the leather trousers were a good choice as Severus couldn't seem to take his hands off Haddy's arse although that meant it wasn't long before he found Haddy's surprise.

"Expecting something were you?" Severus asked, feeling around the edge of the butt plug.

"Extremely hopeful is the phrase I would use," was Haddy's cheeky reply as he started undoing the buttons on Severus's robes.

"I suppose we have time to have some fun before we have to get back."

Severus quickly undid the buttons on Haddy's shirt before attacking the boy's nipples, making him squirm.

Haddy settled himself onto Severus's lap, lining up their cocks before grinding down hard. Severus bit around his nipple, not hard enough to break the skin but obviously enough to worry Severus as he pulled away.

Lying back, Severus put his hands behind his head and regarded Haddy.

"I think I like this position," he said, looking Haddy up and down.

"Like what you see?" Haddy asked, feeling confident under Severus's intense stare.

"Definitely," Severus replied, running his hands up Haddy's quidditch toned abs to tweak Haddy's nipples, causing Haddy to gasp and inadvertently grind down again.

Severus moaned and Haddy decided to continue his movements. Leaning back to give Severus a better view, Haddy began rolling his hips, trying to think of some song he'd heard Dudley listening to last summer to get a sensual rhythm.

Severus brought his hands up to Haddy's hips to help guide his movements although the boy was doing a very good job for what he assumed was his first lap dance. Severus could see him getting lost in some mental image as he moved, closing his eyes and beginning to stroke his hands up his chest.

Haddy's fingers found his nipples and he began to gently play with them in time with his hips. Severus watched as they became tight, puckered nuns which was apparently a sign for Haddy to increase his ministrations; switching from rubbing to pinching, causing the boy to gasp and grind down with increased pressure. 

Severus was torn. A part of him wanted to join in with pleasuring his mate but a part of him was very much enjoying the shield. Haddy opened his eyes and Severus was happy to see the look of confidence in his eyes that matched the sexy smirk on his face. Haddy seemed to enjoy being watched, so Severus settled back to enjoy the show, letting his mate have a little control for now to see what he would do.

After a few minutes undulating to some unheard beat Haddy appeared to start becoming impatient so Severus decided to take back control, moving to the fastenings on Haddy's trousers and sliding them down his hips to free his cock. Shuffling up and pulling his own penis out, Severus was able to grip them both together. 

Haddy decided to join him, wrapping one of his hands around Severus's as he used the other to lean on his chest to get a better angle. This way he was able to fuck up into their joined fists, increasing the friction on Severus's own dick in the most delicious way.

Severus wanted to watch Haddy ss he came undone so moved his free hand to tease the plug in Haddy's arse. Haddy let out a long moan at the increased sensation, redoubling his movements as he got lost in the pleasure of the moment.

Severus thought it was a beautiful sight as he literally saw the man tense the moment before he exploded all over their joint hands. The sight was pure perfection and was enough to send Severus over the edge, joining his mate in ecstasy.

They collapsed in a crumpled but satisfied heap for a few minutes as they enjoyed the moment, stroking each other as they recovered from very satisfying orgasms. Severus was a bit disappointed that they couldn't linger much longer, he would like to be able to spend another night wrapped around his wonderful boyfriend but for the time being he didn't think it was worth the risk.

They tidied up and made their way back to the apparition point. They made their way back to the castle and kissed in the entrance as before; it was starting to become a bit of a tradition for them. Just before they parted he felt Haddy slip something into his pocket.

"I'll see you later," he said with a wink before waving to Severus and going up the stairs.

Severus could only wonder what hair-brained scheme his boyfriend had come up with now as he rushed down to the dungeons so he could read his note in peace.


	65. Chapter 65

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more smut. I promise there is some more plot after this.

Severus made his way unseen through the castle towards the whomping willow. Thankfully years of residing at Hogwarts had taught him countless ways he could move around without being seen. Haddy's note had told him to meet him in the shrieking shack, saying that the Slytherins would cover him for the night: something that had been confirmed when Draco knocked on his door to get his spare robes ready to start his patrol. His godson had a couple of doses of poly juice to get him comfortably through the night so Severus knew he could relax, his mate clearly had everything covered.

He walked down the long underground tunnel and came out into a darkened house. Assuming Haddy would be in the bedroom he quietly made his way up the stairs but stopped in the doorway, shocked at the sight before his eyes. There were floating candles all around the room; the bed had been transformed into some monstrosities that took up most of the small room, red rose petals were scattered all over the dark sheets and in the middle was Hadrian, head thrown back as he buried a third finger deep into his arse.

Severus must have gasped because Haddy looked up from his position on the bed.

"Ah, there you are, I was getting a bit bored waiting so I thought I would get a start on things."

Severus dragged his eyes up from the boy's arsehole stretched tightly round his fingers as they pumped in and out of his body. He noticed another bloody cock ring around his rigid member, already liberally leaking precum, then further up a pair of silver, weighted nipple clamps and, to finish it off, a black leather collar. Severus was near transfixed as he made his way closer to read the tag, trying to ignore the fact that Haddy hadn't stopped his movements since he'd arrived.

"Severus's pet?" he questioned, letting his finger stroke across the boy's chest as he played with it.

"That's what you call me sometimes and I like it."

"Well this is definitely a good start but I fear you may need some more training before you can really call yourself that."

Severus let his fingers slide down and pulled sharply on one of the clamps.

Haddy gasped in pleasure. "I had hoped that would be the case, sir, and look forward to your training."

Severus pinched around both the clamps and twisted caused Haddy to let out a cross between a moan and a whine. "That is hardly an appropriately submissive attitude for a pet, remember you take what I give you and you're grateful for it."

Haddy brought his free hand to Severus's hair and pulled him down for a messy kiss. "Not tonight, tonight is my night."

Severus pulled back to look his mate in the eye; finding nothing but strength, determination and love. "Ok angel, tonight is for you."

Severus began to slowly undo the buttons on his robes, grateful Draco had suggested he wear a t-shirt and joggers underneath. It may not have been his sexiest attire but it was easy to remove and nakedness seemed to be what was required. He could feel Haddy's eyes on him as he quickly undid the buttons but was too wound up to undress with finesse, not that he was getting any complaints. He could feel Haddy's eyes, even through his t-shirt, mapping out the contours of his chest. He was glad that he could have such an effect on the gorgeous young man in front of him and was definitely something he would explore at a later date.

For now he just wanted to get on the bed and snog the life out of his mate, replacing the boy's fingers with his own.

Haddy moaned as their tongues met in a well practiced dance, his legs falling further apart, inviting Severus to lie on top of him. Once they were aligned, however, Haddy quickly flipped them over so he was on top, grinding down as his fingers slipped out of him and causing Severus to moan.

"You seemed to like this position earlier," he said, sliding his hands up Severus's torso to stretch the man's arms above his head.

"What can I say, it's nice to have you do all the work for once," Severus joked, as Haddy shifted to hold his hands under one of his own. The grip wasn't anywhere near firm and Severus was curious about what his mate was going to do.

Suddenly Haddy pulled out a wand, casting incarcerous, and Severus found his arms bound securely to the headboard.

"What are you planning, Hadrian?"

"Well I know you're worried about taking things to the next level because you don't want to risk losing control and biting me. However you can't bite me in this position so it's alright."

"I was also making sure we took our time to make sure you're ready as it's your first time."

"I am ready, Severus, I have been for some time and before you say anything about it having to be special, take a look around you. I am in this amazing room with the man I love on our first Valentine's day together. I don't think you can get more special than that."

Severus sighed, "so am I supposed to sit back and enjoy the ride then?"

"Something like that," Haddy replied, leaning in for a kiss before shuffling back.

"At least I know why you were taking so much care preparing yourself."

"Mmm, but I'm wondering if it was enough," Haddy pondered as he pulled some lube out from under the pillow and began to smear it over Severus's length.

"I'm glad you think so, Hadrian; just remember to take things slowly."

Haddy smirked as he lined himself up, lifting up to drop himself down. He felt the resistance straight away, Severus's penis feeling very different to anything he'd felt at his entrance before; somehow both softer and harder than a dildo, and obviously bigger than his fingers. He pushed down slowly, feeling a burn as his muscles stretched to accommodate the girth. He tried rocking up and down a bit, taking deep breaths to try and force his muscles to relax as he worked his way past the tight rings.

He soon found himself bottoming out, feeling Severus's balls brushing against his arse. He felt immensely full, almost uncomfortably so, and he held himself still as he took some breaths to acclimatise himself to the sensation. He opened his eyes and saw Severus was in a similar position, breathing heavily, trying to get himself back under control.

"Are you ok?" Haddy asked.

Severus hummed. "You forget, it's been a while since I've done this and the sensation is quite overwhelming."

Haddy smirked and tensed his internal muscles slightly, causing Severus to gasp in surprise, his hands tensing around his bindings.

"Damn you, brat, do you want to finish me off so quickly."

"True, maybe I should have put the cock ring on you. I'll have to remember that for next time."

Severus growled, "And what makes you think there will be a next time?"

Haddy decided to forgo replying in favour of lifting himself up, almost off completely, and slamming back down again causing both of them to cry out.

It felt so good, now his body was used to the feeling of having Severus inside him, and Haddy could no longer keep still, rolling his hips slightly with each rise and fall, trying to find the right angle. Sparks of pleasure shot through him when he did, his hands reflexively tensing against Severus's chest.

Figuring out what had happened, it was Severus's turn to smirk as he planted his feet firmly on the bed and jerked his hips up, shocking Haddy.

"Liked that did you?" Severus asked.

Haddy could only nod as the sensations overwhelmed him.

Severus took that as consent and began moving, going fast and hard, knowing he wouldn't last long no matter what. Haddy was so tight and hot around him and the sight of his mate impaling himself on Severus's cock was better than he'd imagined.

Haddy could only hold on as Severus pounded into him from underneath, trying to grind against him although he probably didn't need any more stimulation.

"How close are you?" Haddy asked.

"Why, are you that desperate to feel me filling you with my hot cum?"

Haddy moaned and threw his head back, "god yes, Severus, fill me up, but I want us to finish together."

"Then take the ring off, pet, I'm so close and I want us to cum together as well."

Haddy released the ring and took himself in hand as he ground back against Severus as he continued to thrust.

"That's it pet, stroke yourself, show me how much you enjoy riding my cock."

"Oh god, it feels so good. Please Severus, fill me up, I want to feel you coming inside me."

Haddy began to stroke himself with abandon and it didn't take long for him to empty himself all over Severus's chest, tensing his muscles and triggering Severus's own release deep inside Haddy.

They were both panting with exertion as Haddy collapsed down, peppering Severus's chest with kisses 

"That was incredible," he sighed, "why did we wait so long to do it."

"Because I didn't think about tying myself up to stop me from doing anything we'd regret," said Severus, fighting to get himself under control, his fangs starting to elongate with his desire to feed from his mate. "It was an inspired idea, love, although I don't know how often we'll be able to repeat this."

"Especially not with the headmaster watching us. I hope papa is successful at the governors meeting; at least it would be one less thing to worry about."

"Definitely, now do you think you can release me, I've managed to get myself under control and my arms are starting to ache."

Haddy chuckled and cancelled the spell. He grabbed the duvet that he'd tucked down the side of the bed as Severus cast cleaning spells on himself.

"You do remember you're free to stay here all night," he said, snuggling into his favourite position on Severus's chest.

"Yes angel, don't worry, I'm looking forward to waking up with you again."

"I'm looking forward to when I can wake up with you every day," replied Haddy with a yawn and before long they had both fallen fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a bit short. The end is in sight and I'm having a little bit of trouble rousing my muse so I haven't been doing as much writing as before. Hopefully I'll be able to keep on track till the end but I'll let you know if there are any problems.


	66. Chapter 66

The end of the month brought the first governors meeting of the year. Lucius was a little annoyed that it fell on the same day as Haddy's next quidditch match but as Gryffindor were playing Hufflepuff he wasn't that worried about missing it, the win was near guaranteed, although he tried not to say that to Haddy as he didn't want to put too much pressure on his son especially if there was some unforeseen event that caused them to lose.

Haddy had been training the team hard since the last game and, with support from the rest of the team, particularly Katie Bell, they had put the Weasleys in their place. The two red heads had been warned; sort their act out or they were off the team, even if it was halfway through the match. The two Weasleys seemed to take heed even if they had been muttering curses under their breath for weeks after. With them in line, however, the match should be a walk in the park for the lions which meant Lucius could concentrate on more important matters like fixing the racist rules that sought to hurt his friend and son. At least Narcissa was able to attend to show their support and, with any luck, this meeting would wrap up quickly so he could catch the end of the game.

The room was filled with the usual pompous, self serving arseholes but Lucius didn't care, he was used to dealing with their type and he knew how they worked. Thankfully the articles last month had helped cast doubts on the headmaster and some of his teachings which would mean that the fools would be a lot easier to manipulate.

He tried not to yawn as various individuals debated over which spells really ought to be taught in which subjects and whether there should be more rules about the length of skirts on uniforms as apparently some students had been seen wearing theirs above the knee!

Lucius began to pay attention when they got to the debate about what food should be served at meal times; whether favourites should make way for healthier options and whether the budget would stretch to it. It wasn't because it was debate was particularly interesting but it was the precursor to what he came here for.

After several minutes of the food debate going round in circles the current head of governors called order.

"Next order of business," George Macmillan announced, "is a proposal for amending rules pertaining to mated couples with Hogwarts. Mr Malfoy has proposed that such couples should be exempt from rules regarding sexual relations as there is a biological necessity for such couples to be in close contact. I open the subject up for discussion."

"A load of creature loving claptrap," complained Heston Brown, "why should only they be exempt and not normal wizards."

"Because of the bond they share although if you wanted to amend the bill to include all bonded couples then I don't see a problem." 

"I do," exclaimed Augusta Longbottom, "then all couples would have to do is get married and they could have relations. It"s unseemly."

"But isn't it the case at the moment that even if a couple were to get married they wouldn't be allowed to stay together?" Georgia Fawley asked.

"Of course not," Augusta replied, "do you want students getting married just so they can find a loophole to have sex. It will erode the sanctity of marriage."

"Are you saying that you think students would get married just so they can have sex at school?" Lucius asked, "do you have so little faith in the intelligence of our students here. I don't know about other houses but I know for a fact that students in Slytherin regard any bonding with the utmost respect and would never dream of doing something so stupid as to bond with someone just so they could have relations in school."

Augusta scoffed. "You expect me to believe that teenagers wouldn't take every opportunity they could to flounce a rule like that. We must be firm with them Mr Malfoy, we can give them no quarter or they will run amok."

"It's true," Lucius continued, "it's not like students don't have relations already, there are options outside of bonding with someone including simply waiting for holidays to come round and getting together. I know that was the case for myself and Narcissa when we were at school as I'm sure it was for a number of people around this table."

There was a round of nodding and a few muttered comments about finding hidden alcoves or abandoned alcoves that Lucius had been aware of himself in his time.

"I am aware," the headmaster said, " that such things happen despite our best efforts which is why I don't see the point in changing the rules as it could just lead to confusion. If no one is allowed to have sexual relations on school property then there won't be a problem and other students won't feel that they are being maligned because they are human."

"But what if it were two students who were mated?" Lucius asked. "You've all but admitted that you can't actually stop students from having sex no matter how hard you try: there are too many students and too many places for them to meet for you to accomplish this. If there were two students who were mates and they bonded they would have to continue to do so."

"Except they would be expelled for having sexual relations on school property," Dumbledore stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But then you're discriminating against magical creatures. Students frequently have sex on school property but dont get expelled. Why should magical creatures get expelled just because you can tell."

"Well I really don't think students are having sexual relations as often as you're making out," Dumbledore complained to which Lucius and a number of other governors laughed.

"Actually I fear it is far more prevalent than you realise," said Lucius, "which is why it is so unfair to marginalize magical creatures or those with strong creature blood who form clear bonds."

"Maybe instead of encouraging more children to have inappropriate relationships we should be doing more to prevent them," suggested Augusta.

"By all means," said Lucius, "if you wish to come help the staff patrol the halls at night I'm sure they would be happy for the assistance. Unfortunately some of us have to work during the day and so are unable to do so."

Augusta muttered something about needing more sleep in her old age and then promptly shut up. He wasn't surprised, the subject had been debated many times before regarding the size of the castle and the number of staff who were able to patrol each night. It was impossible for so few people to check everywhere and the request for help had frequently gone out but, unsurprisingly, no one ever wanted to come to the school to spend hours walking around the halls.

"I agree with Lucius," said Charles Rosier, "we can't discriminate against creatures just we can tell if they've bonded."

"Of course you would agree," argued Liberty Brown, "everyone knows that you have vampire in your blood as well, you're practically full blood sucker."

"I'm half," Rosier corrected, "but as such I can only commend Mr Snape's restraint. I know how strong the pull was when I met my mate and the fact that he has been in such close proximity for so long and not done anything about it is little short of a miracle."

"But if he's managed for so long already," said Brown, "surely it isn't too much to ask them to wait a little more. After all it's only a bit more than a year before the graduates, isn't that right Lucius?"

"Although my son's predicament has brought this matter to my attention, Mrs Brown, it goes beyond him. There could well be other creatures attending the school over the years so I thought it best we address the issue now as opposed to frantically trying to deal with it should a bond be formed between two students. We wouldn't want to risk being sued for wrongful expulsion now would we."

"But if they break the rules they should face the consequences," Dumbledore intoned, as if he were doling out some stage advice.

"Are you saying that all students who break the rules should face appropriate punishment?" Lucius asked and Dumbledore nodded. "Then why were my son and his friends rewarded in their first year for not only being out after curfew but entering a corridor where entry had been forbidden. Or his second year where he and Mr Weasley were again out after curfew when they went into the chamber of secrets, not to mention Miss Weasley possession of a dark artifact."

"And why did my granddaughter have said artifact in the first place?" Ignatius Prewitt asked, accusing.

"I have no idea," Lucius said, "but I do know she was in the book all year and didn't think to inform anyone about it. Even if she didn't know it was dark, she didn't think it strange that the book would reply to her. Surely someone should have had words."

"Her parents had very stern words with her," Dumbledore said, stepping in for Prewitt who looked like he was about to boil over.

"But not the school, even though her actions put students' lives at risk?" Lucius pressed.

"Miss Weasley was gravely injured from an attack and was in no fit state to receive a lecture," explained Dumbledore.

"Unfortunately for you headmaster, this has been a reoccurring problem, where students break rules and then face no consequences and yet you're trying to sit here and tell me that all of a sudden you think we need to enact near draconian rules for something that isn't even dangerous."

"It sets a bad precedent," moaned Augusta.

"So does rewarding rule breaking," Lucius argued, "but that seems to have been standard practice for some time."

"Maybe you should have words with your son then," sneered Prewitt, "as he seems to have been at the heart of all this rule breaking over the years."

"Don't worry I have and, if you'll check, neither of my children have earned any detentions this year as they know there will be serious consequences should they get into trouble."

"That might just mean they haven't gotten caught yet," suggested Dumbledore.

'This from the man who gave an 11 year old an invisibility cloak' thought Lucius. "If they do ever get caught doing anything they're not supposed to I expect them to face the consequences, however we seem to have veered off topic: should bonded mates be exempt from the rule banning sexual relations?"

"I believe there has been enough discussion on the subject," Macmillan announced, likely fearing another argument should they continue, "let us take a vote."

Lucius was glad he'd been able to bring up Haddy's past exploits again, the interviews in the papers had stirred up a lot of contention against the headmaster, with other people now questioning how someone who was apparently the most powerful wizard of our time could let a child get into such situations. Dumbledore had had to do a fair bit of damage control when the articles first came out and, looking around the table now, it hadn't been as successful as he would have liked. Even some of his usual supporters looked a bit wary so Lucius had high hopes for the bill passing.

It hadn't been quite as simple as Lucius had hoped and there was still some discussion to be had but Lucius was happy with the result: getting caught having sexual relations was still against the rules but no longer resulted in immediate expulsion but would be allowed should a couple be married. It wasn't a huge win but some governors worried about encouraging children to have sex even if they were mates so this way they would have to be of age.

Lucius was just worried that it would encourage Haddy to tie the knot as soon as he could. He knew his son was very much in love and he wanted him to be happy, he just worried he would lose him, having only just got him back. Unfortunately he couldn't go to Narcissa for help as he was pretty sure she had been planning the wedding since Christmas.

There were few more items on the agenda that Lucius was interested in; he'd tried to suggest a school-wide inheritance test to determine how many of the muggleborns were actually wizards but had been instantly shut down. Dumbledore had said that setting something up on that scale would be impossible, despite the goblins informing him otherwise. 

In the end Lucius was just happy to get out there; from the sounds if things the game was still underway and he might get another opportunity to see his son in action.


	67. Chapter 67

By the time the governors had managed to make it to the stands the score was already Gryffindor 80-Hufflepuff 70 and Haddy was frantically searching for the snitch. Lucius had managed to squeeze his way in next to his wife, earning himself a small smile. He stood close beside her so he could hold her hand between the folds of their robes: he still liked to maintain his cool and aloof image. He was happy to see the Weasley girl had taken the team's word to heart and was actually playing with her teammates however the keepers skill still left a lot to be desired. At least he seemed to be trying though, and hopefully Haddy would find the snitch before the Hufflepuff chasers managed to get ahead. They seemed to be rallying a bit and Lucius could feel himself getting tense after a good shot from a Gryffindor beater stopped a Hufflepuff run in its tracks. The crowd had been roaring as the chasers attacked but were quiet now which was why he was able to overhear a conversation behind him.

"You mean to say there hasn't been any evidence of any other abuse among students?" Letitia Parkinson, Pansy's mother and a member of the governor's sub-committee looking into abuse. "Was Mr Malfoy the only one?"

"I'm saying there are those if us that question the veracity of Mr Malfoy's statements to begin with," replied Hector Fawley, another member of the sub-committee and an ardent Dumbledore supporter, "I asked Madam Pomfrey if she'd seen any suspicious injuries or signs of malnutrition in any students that came through her ward and she said there wasn't any at all, including Mr Malfoy."

"Did she just say or did you actually see the records yourself?" Lucius asked, not attempting to turn his head so it didn't look like he was joining in their conversation. He wouldn't want to alert any casual observers.

"Well she said," replied Fawley, "she briefly showed me some reports but I couldn't really understand them."

Lucius chuckled, "of course you didn't. Might I suggest taking someone with medical training next time so they are able to decipher the jargon for you. My son was examined by both goblin and eleven healers and they both documented an extensive history of abuse. I can get you copies and explain the results if you wish."

"But why would Madam Pomfrey say that there wasn't?" Fawley asked.

"Only she can answer that I'm afraid," answered Lucius.

"I believe Mr Malfoy has had training in healing," said Letitia, "perhaps he can assist you in looking at the files."

Fawley began to splutter at the very idea of working with him and Lucius was feeling gracious enough to take pity on the man. "Don't worry Fawley, I'm afraid I'm far too busy at the moment to offer you assistance but I do have connections to the elven realm and I don't think anyone could doubt their ability."

"Ok," agreed Fawley, "even I know how good ag healing elves are. If you can arrange it then I'll go with it. It would be good to be able to say for sure. No matter what, none of us like the idea of children being abused."

Lucius hummed in agreement and went back to concentrating on the game just in time to see Haddy dropping into a death defying dive and his heart jumped into his throat. Narcissa had to gently pry her hand out of his grip; he would check later to make sure he hadn't caused any real damage when he clutched it in fear.

He could have sworn the boy was centimeter away from death when he pulled up and Lucius couldn't keep his stoic mask up as he grasped the rails. He couldn't breathe with how tense he was as Haddy headed into the main field of play and had to dodge several bludgers in his pursuit of the little golden ball. The Hufflepuff chaser was hot on heels but seemed more wary about diving into the fray and Lucius couldn't help but wish Haddy had some of the other boy's sense of self preservation. Thankfully it wasn't long before his son's fingers grasped the fluttering golden ball, ending the game and Lucius was immensely grateful; he didn't think his heart could have taken much more.

A quick look at Severus in the teacher's stand showed Severus in a similar predicament to himself and could only smile at the fact that at least his son had chosen a life partner who would care for him as much as Lucius did. Severus would guard Haddy as closely as he would and would make sure nothing happened to his beloved son. As much as he didn't like the idea of losing his son so soon after getting him back, he knew that was an inevitability, especially with the new rules in place. Maybe he could persuade Severus to move into the manor for a bit while he finished doing his own house up.

Haddy was doing his victory lap when he noticed his father's smiling face in the crowd and felt his own grin grow. He was glad Lucius had made it in time to see him catch the snitch. He was happy his mum was here as well but he had an extra desire to prove himself to Lucius, to make his father proud of him, and he could see that pride shining in his eyes now.

He was nearing the Slytherin stand which was surprisingly buoyant given Haddy had just pushed the Gryffindor team one step closer to the house cup. He couldn't help winding his brother up, though, when he caught a flash of white blonde hair in the crowd.

"You're definitely going to have to pull off an epic victory against Ravenclaw now, if you still want a shot at the cup."

"Laugh it up while you can brother," Draco yelled, "we still have a shot and we will trounce Ravenclaw next month, just you see."

The Ravenclaw stand suddenly booed and Haddy laughed out loud.

It was as he neared the teacher's stand that Haddy's mischievous side reared its head. He caught Severus's eye in the stand and motioned him to the front of the stand. The man had apparently been trying to keep a lower profile by standing in the back and blending into the shadows as he'd been doing for years. Haddy, however, wanted to share his victory with his boyfriend, especially now they were official and Haddy had permission from the man to be more open in public.

Likely already predicting what was about to happen, Severus moved slowly to the front of the stand; as if internally debating whether or not to give into Haddy's silent demands. He seemed to finally relent, as Haddy was learning he would. Severus always tried to resist Haddy's advances but Haddy knew it was only superficial; at the heart of it Severus wanted the same thing he did but he was scared Haddy would change his mind. Haddy didn't mind preserving to prove himself to the man as Haddy believed he was worth every effort.

Haddy hovered in front of the stand as Severus came right to the front, steadily holding Haddy's gaze as he waited for the boy to make his move. Haddy didn't leave him waiting long as he swooped in to give the man a sound kiss.

The stands went wild and Haddy could see the camera flashes even behind closed eyes and was sure this would be front page news tomorrow but he didn't care: he was giving his boyfriend a victory kiss in front of the whole world and for once he welcomed the attention. He wanted everyone to know they were together and happy and no conniving headmasters were going to stop that.

He pulled back and smiled at Severus's shy blush; he obviously hadn't been completely comfortable with that but he'd done it anyway, for Haddy, and Haddy couldn't be happier. He took Severus's hand and placed the snitch inside his palm, curling his fingers around it tightly.

"For you," Haddy said, not even trying to hide the gesture. He wanted everyone to see; he may as well have been giving Severus his heart, marking the both of them as taken.

He flew back to the ground amidst a raucous applause and Haddy lapped it up, just hoping his teammates wouldn't be too mad that he stole the spotlight from them. He shouldn't have worried too much, Katie and Dean almost seemed to be leading the crowd, only the Weasleys seemed to be glowering but were wisely keeping their mouths shut in the face of such support.

The article the next day was even better than Haddy could have asked for. They had used the photo of Haddy handing Severus the snitch to Severus with multiple theories about who would propose and when, especially in the light of the new change in school rules; a win for creatures rights as it proudly proclaimed. Haddy had looked up at the staff table as soon as he'd read the words only to find Severus staring back at him intently. The man's face was blank but Haddy thought he saw a question in the depths of his eyes and that was enough to give him hope. Now he just had to worry about whether or not Severus would take offence if he did ask the question and how upset his father would be if Severus said yes. Deciding he needed a better read on the man Haddy made plans to organize another midnight rendezvous. Thankfully Severus was on patrol that night so it would be easy enough to get Draco to ask him to alter his route slightly.

It was actually only 11 when Severus entered the room. The Gryffindors had apparently been recovering from their win the day before and had all turned in early. Lysander had even got one of the old DA galleons to warn him in case of a surprise inspection which meant he could relax a bit and take his time with the room. It was more masculine this time, with dark leather sofas and, instead of a bed, what looked remarkably like Severus's desk.

"Hello Hadrian, I do hope you're not doing homework," Severus said, indicating the book in Haddy's hands.

"No, don't worry, that's all done. This is one of the healing texts that grandmother got me for Christmas." Haddy lifted the book up to show him as he swung his legs off the sofa he was lying on, making room next to him for Severus.

Severus accepted the invitation and sat close to Haddy, automatically wrapping his arm around the young man's shoulders allowing Haddy to snuggle into his usual spot. "I'm glad to see your studying habits are improving."

"Yes, the O.W.L.'s were a bit of a wake up call plus I've got people I need to make proud and of course I'll need good grades if I do want to become a healer."

"Just remember that your parents and I are proud of you no matter what," Severus said, dropping a kiss to the top of Haddy's head.

"Love you," Haddy replied, stretching up to kiss him properly.

Severus kissed him back and it wasn't long before Haddy was sliding into his lap to get a better angle, his hands in Severus's hair as Severus's own hands slipped under Haddy's pyjama top, pulling them closer together.

"You're like a drug," Severus breathed as Haddy moved to leave a trail of kisses down his neck, "the more I get of you the more I want. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get enough of you."

"Good," Haddy whispered in his ear before gently biting the lobe, "because I don't plan to ever leave you."

Severus turned his dark gaze on the young man, his eyes seeming to bore into Haddy's very soul as if to try and judge the veracity of his statement. Their eyes locked for several moments before they came crashing back together, satisfied by what they found.

Severus's hands slipped inside Haddy's pyjama bottoms as Haddy was undoing the buttons on his robes, trying to get at more of the delectable flesh underneath. He squeezed the pert globes, grinding their groins together causing them both to moan. Wanting more of that reaction, Severus began to stroke around the furled muscle of Haddy's entrance before gently pushing in the tip. It was dry and Severus had held back, not wanting to hurt his mate but Haddy pushed back on his finger, trying to take it deeper.

"I think you like having my fingers inside you," Severus whispered against Haddy's mouth.

"I like having anything of yours inside me," Haddy replied, causing Severus to groan with need.

"Then, pet, I think you should be be sucking my cock."

"Yes, sir," Haddy said while sliding off his body, "do you want me here or at the desk?"

"Oh, definitely at the desk I think." That thought was perilously close to some of his fantasies and it was too good an opportunity to pass up.


	68. Chapter 68

Severus leaned back in the chair, robes mow open and spread aside, his trousers just undone, almost highlighting his cock as it jutted out: the chair he sat on was remarkably similar to his own in the defense classroom making him wonder how often Haddy had thought about this situation himself. Letting his legs fall apart he affected his haughtiest stare as he looked down at Haddy who was kneeling, naked, at his feet. He ran his hand through Haddy's soft hair as the young man almost reverently stroked his penis before allowing his tongue to dart out to sample the precum that had beaded there. He seemed to savour the taste before licking all around and taking the head into his mouth, sucking as he pressed his tongue into the slit. Severus managed to hold his hips still, wanting to see what Haddy would do, what he remembered Severus liked from their previous encounters, but it was tough even for him. It seemed the boy was a quick study when the subject interested him and he seemed very interested in learning to give good head.

Severus let out a sigh as Haddy took a little more of his cock into his mouth, using his hand to stimulate what was left; not too much, just steadily building the pressure, drawing out long moans from Severus.

Haddy pulled off completely to lick a stripe along the underside, tracing the vein before placing a sucking kiss to the glands. Precum was beginning to drip steadily out of Severus's cock and Haddy happily lapped it up before swirling his tongue around the head again.

He suddenly swallowed Severus down as far as he could and Severus had to grasp the arms of the chair to stop from bucking up, already feeling the back of Haddy's throat clenching around his tip as Haddy fought back his gag reflex. He looked down and could see the tears forming at the corners of Haddy's eyes as he tried to take in more than he could. Severus gripped Haddy's head to pull him back slightly.

"Easy, pet, we have plenty of time to build up to deep throating, learn your limits. Now relax your throat like the good little cocksucker you are and let me fuck your mouth."

Haddy moaned at the thought and quickly complied, allowing Severus to begin thrusting into his hot, willing mouth.

Severus tightened his grip in Haddy's hair, using it as an anchor to keep Haddy's head still, making sure he didn't go too deep. Not that Haddy was a passive participant, using his tongue to draw patterns up and down Severus's shaft; playing with the slit and glands as he pulled out then swallowing down as Severus pushed back in.

Severus made the mistake of looking down and saw Haddy's lush lips, spit slicked, wrapped around his cock, the young man's eyes closed in pleasure as he moaned around Severus's cock. It was almost his undoing and Severus had to quickly pinch the base to stop himself from tumbling over the edge.

"You're enjoying this aren't you pet, enjoy me using you like this; my own little cock slut. Maybe I should teach you how to warm my cock. I could have you sat under my desk during lessons, gently laving me, no one knowing except you and me. Would you like that pet?"

Haddy hummed his assent and Severus had to tighten his grip again as the vibrations sent pleasure shooting through him.

"Of course you'd love it, any excuse to get my cock in you, but maybe we won't have the audience, maybe I'll just have you there when I'm marking, that way I can throw you over the desk when I'm done and fuck your pretty willing arsehole."

Severus saw Haddy move his hands behind him and shoved his cock into Haddy's mouth too much on purpose, making the boy gag and bringing his hands back round to support him.

"No, naughty boy. I know your arsehole is feeling a bit neglected at the moment but you need to be patient. Your master's pleasure comes first, remember, but if you're good I'll give you a treat when I'm done."

Haddy seemed to understand as he redoubled his efforts, sucking hard enough to make his cheeks hollow as his tongue pressed against him as it stroked, as if Haddy was trying to milk him. Haddy's actions and the mental image was too much and Severus soon found himself shooting his hot load into Haddy's mouth, the boy choking slightly at the force as he tried to swallow it all down, still sucking gently to get every drop.

Severus fell back in the chair panting as Haddy nuzzled his softening member. He stroked Haddy's hair needing to ground himself after such an intense climax.

"Thank you pet, that was very well done. We'll turn you into a champion cock sucker in no time."

"Thank you sir, I'm always happy to please you."

"I'm glad to hear you say that pet, it is your job to please me after all. Now, bend yourself face down over the desk and spread your legs so I can get a good look at your other eager hole." Haddy stood up to comply and Severus got a good look at his rigid member. "You really did enjoy sucking my cock, didn't you?"

Haddy blushed. "Yeah, especially when you fuck my mouth and talk dirty to me."

Severus groaned and let his head drop back as he felt his dick give a valiant twitch despite him having just climaxed. "God, what did I ever do to deserve someone as perfect as you Haddy?"

"I don't know," Haddy said, leaning forward to give him a kiss, "although you're pretty perfect yourself from where I'm looking."

Severus surged forward, deepening the kiss as he brought his hands to cup Haddy's jaw.

Pulling back Severus looked Haddy in the eye, happy to see his pupils dilated in lust. "That was nice but I'm wondering why you haven't obeyed my orders yet."

"Sorry, sir," Haddy said, dropping his head in shame before hurrying to comply, spreading his arse cheeks to give Severus a good view of himself. "Is this okay, sir?"

"Its a lovely view pet, but I want your hands where I can see them so let go and hold on to the desk, now there's a good boy."

Severus used his own hands to spread Haddy's cheeks, just waiting, watching Haddy's ring twitch with anticipation. He blew on it gently and was delighted to hear the boy gasp beneath him. Haddy shuffled a bit so Severus gave arse a quick swat. "Hold still pet, or you will get nothing."

"Sorry, sir," replied Haddy, tightening his grip on the table and planting his feet firmly on the floor.

Severus didn't give him time to calm down before swiping his tongue over Haddy's hole, making the boy jump and earning him another slap. "If you want more, stay still pet, or I really will have to punish you."

Haddy gulped and seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if debating whether or not he might want the punishment or not.

Severus allowed his thumbs to brush over Haddy's entrance. "I had a plan for something very pleasurable tonight pet, but if you are truly interested in exploring the pleasure that can be found in pain I can organize something for another time. However if you disobey me it wont be the fun kind of punishment you receive so what will it be, will you stay still?"

"Yes, sir, sorry, sir, but do you think you could tie me down, what you were doing felt so good I don't trust myself not to move."

"But that's the point, pet, you need to learn to do as I tell you simply because I told you to do it. I wont ask you to do something I don't truly think you can achieve. To that point I will not tie you down," Severus opened the top draw and, true to form, the room produced exactly what he wanted. Taking out the studded paddle he placed it just in front of Haddy's face. "You will receive 1 slap with that for every time you move before I'm done. Colour?"

Haddy gulped, "green, sir."

"Good, now, get yourself comfortable, I plan on taking my time."

Severus rolled his chair up and spread Haddy's cheeks again once the young man had settled. He began by nuzzling around Haddy's hole, taking a deep sniff of the boys musk, revelling in it before diving in for another taste. Haddy's mewlng sounds were delightful as Severus continued to lap around the ring before just pressing in the tip.

Haddy gasped at the new sensation but didn't move, simply tensing his body further.

"Well done, pet, I knew you could do it."

"Thank you, sir," was Haddy's breathless reply.

Severus scratched his nails up the backs of Haddy's thighs. The boy shuddered but still didn't move. "Good boy," was all Severus said before diving straight back in and licking a long stripe all along Haddy's crack.

Severus took his time trimming his mate, only using his fingers to stretch Haddy's hole so he could push his tongue in deeper. It wasn't long before Haddy was a whimpering mass of need.

Severus continued till his jaw ached; he had never had the chance to enjoy himself like this with a partner and was happy to revel in it. When he looked up, however, he saw tears forming in Haddy's eyes.

"What's the matter pet?" Severus asked, his voice full of concern.

"I need to cum sir, so badly it hurts."

"Then cum, pet."

"I can't sir."

"Are you not enjoying this?"

"Yes sir, it feels wonderful but it's not enough. I can feel myself at the edge but I can't go over."

"That's fine, pet. Cumming untouched isn't easy anyway although we could use this as an opportunity to see if you'll be able to cum on command."

Haddy gulped, "please, sir, teach me. K want to please you."

"You already do," Severus said, pushing a finger into Haddy's spit slicked hole.

Haddy pushed back slightly, letting Severus know this was a good choice, and he easily worked in a second. Haddy moaned at the penetration and Severus scissored his fingers, squeezing in a third to make sure his lover had enough stimulation before he began pumping his fingers in and out.

"Is this what you want, pet. Is my tongue not enough to fill your greedy hole, you need three fingers fucking you now. You are a greedy little cockslut."

"Yes sir, I loved having your cock in me before. It felt so good. I can't wait until you fuck me again."

Severus was glad he didn't have a fast enough recovery time to be more than half hard yet or he might have ploughed straight into his mate at those words.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to deal with my fingers for now, pet." Severus twisted his wrist slightly before curling his fingers into Haddy's sweet spot causing him to yell out. Wanting to finish this quickly now, Severus began to stimulate it unrelentingly and it wasn't long before Haddy was panting with need again.

"That's it pet, cum from just my fingers, cum for me."

It only took a few more strokes and Haddy was tensing through his climax before collapsing against the desk in a boneless heap.

Severus gently ran his hands up and down Haddy's back and arms.

"Are you ok, Hadrian, that wasn't too much for you."

"No love, that was brilliant, I think I just need a few minutes before I can walk again."

Severus pulled Haddy into his lap, casting a quick cleaning spell before cuddling him close and gently kissing him. They stayed like that for some time, while Haddy recovered, before Severus grew conscious of the time and started hurrying them out the door.

Before they left for the night Haddy stopped him.

"I was serious when I said I wanted to feel you inside me again properly. Please say I won't have to wait too long before we can do that again."

Severus smiled and drew Haddy in for a loving kiss. "Not too long, angel, but next time I want to do it properly, I want to take my time and make love to you."

Haddy's returning smile was radiant. "I can't wait."


	69. Chapter 69

Haddy was surprised to receive an owl the next day and even more surprised when he realised the letter was from his father. Lucius had been wary about contacting Haddy directly for fear any communication could be intercepted and Haddy didn't know all the code phrases like Draco did.

Worrying it was something serious Haddy eagerly tore into the missive.

'Dearest Hadrian, 

I hope this letter finds you well and that you're keeping up with your studies and staying out of trouble still.

I am writing to ask if you could persuade your friend Mr Thomas to agree to answer some questions for Miss Skeeter. She's in a bit of a hurry as she was hoping to get the article done before the Hogsmeade weekend this weekend.

She has tried owling him before now but has received no reply so asked if you could find out if Mr Thomas truly doesn't want to talk to her or if he is open to the idea.

As your friend I he will listen if you talk to him.

Good luck son, remember your mother and I love you and hope to see you again soon.

Your father,  
Lucius Malfoy'

Thankfully there was quidditch practice scheduled for that evening so it would be easy to pull Dean aside under the guise of extra training.

The whole training session had gone surprisingly well with even the Weasley's pulling their weight although that might be due to their reserves showing real drive to improve; nobody liked to see their positions in jeopardy. Haddy received a couple of dirty looks from the siblings when he asked Dean if he wanted to stay behind and run some laps, with the excuse that he wouldn't be able to practice at home, living amongst muggle. He'd already discussed it with Katie and Dean thankfully accepted. Haddy had a lot of fun playing in a different position for once.

They darted up and down the pitch, throwing quick passes to one another, nothing too taxing after a tough training session, especially with Haddy's lack of experience in the position, but Dean seemed to enjoy giving Haddy some advice; Haddy hoped that could give him some extra confidence, something Dean had been lacking on the pitch.

Haddy waited until they were trying to broach the subject of his father's letter.

"Hey, Dean, I heard about your father being a wizard, has anyone approached you to do an interview?"

Dean looked confused, "no, why would they?"

"Well, don't you think people would be interested in your story and find out why your father went to the muggle world instead of staying in the wizarding one?"

"I don't really know anything," Dean said, "I had a chat with the headmaster when we came back after Christmas and he told me my father had fallen in love with my mother but had left us when the dark lord had risen to power, to try and keep us safe. It saved us but unfortunately he was attacked and killed by death eaters."

"Oh, what else did the headmaster say?"

"Just that I probably shouldn't advertise my half blood status too much as I still grew up in the muggle world and might not be too well received."

"Really, is that why you ignored the interview requests?"

Dean looked very confused. "What interview requests?"

"Rita Skeeter wrote to you asking if you wanted to do an interview. Papa wrote to me to ask if I could talk to you because they were hoping to talk to you before the weekend."

"Oh, um, that's cutting it a bit fine but would it really be alright. I tried contacting my dad's side of the family but they said they didn't want anything to do with me."

"That sucks but papa thinks there might be more like you, people who are apparently muggleborns who actually have a magical parent or grandparent. We were hoping if you do an interview it could help encourage people to have an inheritance test so they could find out."

"Oh, you really think there might be more?"

"Possibly, but we won't know unless people get tested and they won't know to get tested unless someone says something. They're going to run an article anyway but it will be better if there is someone they can actually interview."

"Oh, if you think it'll help then I guess I don't mind answering a few questions but I don't think Dumbledore would like it."

"I assume that's why you didn't get any of the requests," Haddy pointed out. "I was pretty sure he was monitoring my mail but I didn't think he'd monitor everyone's."

"That's actually kinda scary," said Dean. "Does he have that kind of power?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. As the headmaster especially he's basically all powerful, papa is trying to work against him with the governors to try and curb some of it but it's slow going and a lot of the public still think he can do no wrong. That's why they want an interview as it'll be harder to go against than if it's just conjecture."

"Ok, Haddy, I'll do the interview, especially if it might help some other families out there. My dad's side already made it perfectly clear they don't want anything to do with mum or me so it's not like they'll hate me any more."

"It might even help," Haddy pointed out, "if your heritage is made public they'd have a hard time coming up with a reason to denounce you, especially if your parents were in love, at least not without looking like total dicks."

"I guess that's true," said Dean, although he didn't look convinced. "I'll keep your name out of it as well if you want, no need for you together punished as well."

"There shouldn't be any need for either of us to get punished; it's not against any rule to do the interview although we may need to sneak you off of grounds to do it. The headmaster has gone to a lot of trouble to make sure you didn't even know about the interview so I'm sure he'd find some way of stopping it if we go through official channels."

"That may be a problem then, I can't imagine it'll be easy to sneak off the property without anyone realizing." 

Haddy chuckled, " people keep saying that to me but I've never had a problem."

"So am I finally going to earn the right to get in on some of your infamous secrets. You know Seamus and I have felt a little left out over the years, especially now Lys is in on it as well."

Haddy promised to share his secrets as they finished getting changed and Haddy also promised to make arrangements for the interview and let Dean know the details as soon as he did.

It took a lot of juggling of communication; between Severus, Draco and Haddy himself. The interview would take place on Wednesday evening in the shrieking shack, it was cutting things very fine as far as going to print was concerned but it was the best they could do. Severus would essentially escort Dean to the Whomping Willow and Lucius would be supervising things on the other side.

He'd let Dean use his invisibility cloak to get around unseen so Haddy was left waiting in the room of requirements, under the guise that they were off studying. Haddy had a new found respect for anyone that had been left behind while he went off on his adventures: waiting was tedious and left too much time to worry over various ways things could go wrong, and the worst that was likely to happen would be Dean getting a detention. He couldn't imagine how bad it must have been when Haddy had thrown himself into truly dangerous situations and he hoped he would never have to find out.

By the time Severus and Dean showed back up, Haddy was completely up together on his homework and was getting ahead on some of his reading as a way of distracting himself, much to Severus's joy. Dean said the meeting had gone fine and that Lucius had seemed pleased with his answers so now they just had to wait for the finished article to know for sure.

The article came out on Friday and Haddy had made the point of ordering his own copy. The article had actually been about so-called missing magicals; witches and wizards who hadn't been strong enough to attend Hogwarts and had seemingly disappeared from society. Apparently it was seen as quite a big problem and these magicals trying to make their way in the muggle world instead, was one of the possible explanations for this. The interview with Dean had been used as proof that people could quite easily transition over the years with no one being any the wiser, especially during the last wizarding war.

The article then linked to an event being held at the Hogsmeade branch of Gringotts this weekend where they were offering free inheritance tests to anyone who was interested in learning their heritage, something that had the whole hall a buzz. A quick peek at the staff table revealed a very dark look on the headmaster's face and Haddy wondered how he would try to counter these measures; it wasn't like he lock everyone in on such short notice, at least not without good reason.

Haddy was on edge all day, waiting for something to happen but thankfully nothing did: there were no freak attacks or disasters to prevent the children from attending Hogsmeade so come Saturday morning Haddy was cautiously optimistic, especially when the Weasley's were talking about what they would be buying later.

Severus was chaperoning again and Haddy had plans to meet him for a drink in the Three Broomsticks later. Haddy was happy he'd promised to spend some time with Dean and Seamus as he hadn't seen them much this term and he didn't want to spend half the day as a fifth wheel. Even Charlie was popping in for a visit, making the most of the relaxed borders now it had been nearly a year since there were any death eater attacks.

Haddy had forgotten how much he enjoyed hanging out with his fellow Gryffindors and was remembering just how much of his time Ron used to monopolise. They had spent the morning looking round the normal shops, restocking their joke and sweet supplies, and had even bumped into the twins who were apparently hoping to secure a location for a new branch of their store: business was booming for them, especially with Lucius expertise at their disposal, and they were hoping to have the new store up and running before the end of the school year.

Lucius had arranged an appointment at the bank to discuss loan options for them so the whole group decided to walk together to the local branch as Dean wanted to get his heritage official. They were heading down one of the side streets when three cloaked and masked figures appeared out of an alleyway, wands drawn and all trained on Haddy.

"Prepare to die, Harry Potter, the dark lord commands it!"


	70. Chapter 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the later than usual update, I seem to have lost some of my inspiration. The story is still coming but much slower that before. Hopefully there won't be long until its complete.

Haddy, Dean, Seamus and the twins stood in shock as they stared at the three death eaters who were slowly making their way towards them. Thankfully it didn't take Haddy long to recover, not with how often he'd seen this sight before.

Drawing his wand, and alerting his friends to do the same, he found he was more curious than scared at this point.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Haddy asked, "and what do you think you're doing?"

"We are here at the order of the dark lord to ensure your end," the one that seemed to be the leader announced.

"And you should know that even Azkaban can't even hold wizards like us," another robed figure announced, "so don't even think about doing anything stupid."

"I dunno," Haddy said, edging closer to the one who just spoke, "I managed to defeat a bunch of you before and this time you're outnumbered."

"I don't know about that," the man in front of Haddy taunted, "your two school chums are looking a little green around the gills."

"That's ok, pretty sure the twins and I could take you fine. Dean, Seamus, why don't you head to the Broomsticks and get a drink while you wait for us to be done here." Haddy hoped his friends would get the message but he didn't dare look back.

"Right," said Fred, coming up behind Haddy, "you two can get the round in, we'll be along in a sec."

"If, if you're sure?" Dean asked.

"Sure he's sure," replied George, "no point in hanging around here it'll be over in no time."

There seemed to be a bit of a shuffle and then George appeared at Haddy's side.

"So, pint of butterbeer then Haddy?"

"Cheers, Seamus, but I'll probably see you before you even get the chance to order."

"That confident are you?" the leader of the death eaters asked.

"Oh, yes," said Haddy, "I defeated old mouldy no problem, how are some wannabe lackies gonna be a problem."

"How dare you!" screeched the death eater who had been silent up until now, "how dare you be so disrespectful to the dark lord."

"What dark lord? Voldemort is gone, I know I defeated him, so I've no idea who you're talking about."

"He came back, same as before, Yaxley said." The death eater pointed to the leader who suddenly seemed a bit flustered.

"So you're Corban Yaxley," Haddy said, "I suppose I should thank you for taking such good care of my lands for me, although I assume that had more to do with the brownies than you. I do believe the elven kingdom wants a word with you about your treatment of them."

"Ha," Yaxley shouted, "those poncy gits can go to hell if they think they can get me."

Haddy didn't bother waiting any longer and quickly cast incarcerous, watching as thick black cords shot out of his wand to wrap around the wizard in front of him. The wizard in question had been caught off guard and had consequently had no time to defend. Unfortunately Fred and George weren't as quick off the mark, Fred's knockback jinx being quickly countered by Yaxley and George's disarming spell being sidestepped and him getting hit by a nasty cutting hex. Haddy quickly checked to make sure his assailant was securely tied up, he turned his attention to help his friends.

George was clearly on the defensive, casting shield charms with his left hand as he bled profusely from his right arm. He was naturally right handed and was obviously struggling which was causing Fred to become distracted in his own duel. Haddy took the initiative, casting expelliamus on George's opponent and sending his wand flying. George quickly followed up with immobelus, freezing the death eater in place, before collapsing to the floor. Haddy cast incarcerous on the frozen enemy, wanting to make sure he still couldn't move even when the spell wore off, before taking a look at George's wound.

Fred had been pushed back down the street, towards the main thoroughfare and Haddy had to decide what to do next. He was just about to dart towards Fred when Severus came bounding round the corner. Haddy breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to George's wound, knowing the other twin would be in good hand.

Severus had been sat in the Three Broomsticks, enjoying a pint of butterbeer and scowling darkly at any happy couple he saw. It wasn't their fault that he had to be careful around his mate last certain parties try to use it against them but it didn't help seeing new couples all around him, happily making out in booths, and knowing he couldn't do the same in public unless he wanted to walk into the headmasters hands and deal with an irate Lucius Malfoy. It didn't stop him wanting to be with Haddy though; the boy was like a drug and Severus was well and truly hooked. He was just considering when he could arrange for some time together with Hadrian when two Gryffindors came flying into the pub.

Severus was instantly on high alert as he knew they'd been hanging out with his mate and Hadrian was nowhere in sight. Thomas was the first to catch his eye and managed to gasp out 'death eaters' and 'Gringotts' while panting, trying to catch his breath. That was thankfully all the information Severus needed before he was racing out of the pub in search of his wayward mate.

He saw one of the Weasley twins first, doing battle with a cloaked figure. He cast a quick look down the street and almost had a heart attack when he saw Haddy stood in a pool of blood but quickly ascertained that it was the other twin who was injured: if Haddy was well enough to be administering aid then he was likely fine and Severus could turn his attention to the battle in front of him.

Just in time it would seem as he narrowly avoided being burned.

"That'll teach you, traitor," the death eater roared.

"And who, pray tell, am I meant to have betrayed?" Severus asked.

"Our master, of course, who else?"

"Last time I spoke with the former dark lord he was more than happy with my work so you can't be talking about him."

The death eater seemed to become enraged, near screaming crucially, causing Severus to fall to his knees. Thankfully he wasn't under the curse for long as the uninjured Weasley twin seemed to pull himself together enough to throw a disarming jinx, knocking the death eaters wand out of his hand and cancelling the curse.

"Incarcerous," Haddy shouted coming up beside him as familiar ropes bound the remaining assailant.

Severus was breathing heavily as the pain abated and Haddy cast some sort of elven spell. "You'll live," he said, running his hands all over Severus as if to check to make sure he was definitely alright, "though I may kill you myself if I find out you've gotten yourself into a situation like that again. My heart stopped when he shouted out that curse."

"Well then turnabout is fair play, brat. I thought the days of you facing death eater attacks were over."

"Me too," said Haddy with a sigh, "let's get these twats unmasked so we can figure out what's going on."

The masks were removed to reveal Dolohov, Mulciber and Yaxley.

"Damn it," exclaimed Severus.

"What's the matter, love?" Haddy asked.

"It's Yaxley, being here. The aurors will be on their way but I want to be able to question him myself. I have a funny feeling Corban here won't make it till tomorrow if I let him go off with them."

Yaxley blanched. "What, no, don't let them take me, I'll answer any questions you like."

"Who's betraying whom now?" Fred asked, bringing back the wands that had been sent flying, a freshly healed George in tow.

"Don't be too hard on him, it's just his Slytherin self preservation instincts kicking in," Severus explained.

That gave Haddy an idea. "What if he was to get loose? Not actually," Haddy said after the other's gave him looks of disbelief, "we just say he did, one of us 'gave chase' and that person can take him to Malfoy Manor. Papa said the elves want words with Mr Yaxley anyway so he can be taken to the elven realm for questioning, the aurors won't be able to get him there."

Severus gave Haddy a sound kiss, "you are turning into quite the devious minx, love, I'm somewhat glad you weren't sorted into Slytherin in your first year, you'd be a nightmare by now. I'll apparate with Mr Yaxley to the Manor, Mr Weasley can take his brother to st Mungo's to get checked out once the aurors arrive."

"Don't you trust my skills?" Haddy asked cheekily.

"I have no doubt you'll make an excellent healer, angel, but I have a feeling that was your first proper attempt and, given the severity of the injury to begin with, I'm sure you'd appreciate confirmation of a job well done."

"I suppose," Haddy agreed, giving his boyfriend another kiss. The death eaters had kept blessedly silent during the exchange but the twins were more than happy to joke about upcoming nuptials, despite neither of them having popped the question yet.

Severus simply shook his head as he grabbed Yaxley and apparated away moments before the aurors arrived. Moody was very suspicious when they informed him Severus had chased after Yaxley after the man had escaped but, given that the other two were escaped fugitives, they were the priority for him.

After the death eaters were rounded up and carted off, several locals came out to thank and congratulate Haddy and the twins for taking on the death eaters again. Haddy took it all in stride and used the opportunity to encourage people to go to the bank for the inheritance test, much to the enjoyment of the twins who had to hurry off to make their appointment: the goblins were sticklers for rules and had been known to insist people on their deathbed still turn up so would not be impressed if the Weasley's missed theirs for a mere scratch.

The paper on Monday proclaimed the endeavour a roaring success, with a number of people finding surprises in their heritage. The announcement had made the front page and Haddy had to wonder how much of that was his father's promotion of the event and how much was the Ministry wanting to cover up that their aurors had come in behind children once again. He also suspected the headmaster was trying to downplay his heroics as the exploits of the fabled boy-who-lived had been bumped all the way back to page 5.

Haddy didn't care, he'd also received a letter from George telling him the healers at St. Mungo's had been very impressed with his work, especially as it had been a first attempt, and were apparently looking forward to him taking up an apprenticeship.


	71. Chapter 71

Haddy was accosted by Draco on his way to lunch and herded him towards the Slytherin table.

"Papa wants a family meeting tonight, I assume it's something important, how easy will it be for you to get away."

"Depends what time. If it's early I can study with Hermione until curfew. If it's later it'll be trickier but if Dean and Seamus can be persuaded to go along I only have to worry about Ron."

"We'll best head off straight after dinner. Hermione isn't on duty tonight, I checked, so we can head off straight away to study somewhere. Uncle Sev said he's going to set a nasty assignment later so that will be good cover for us."

"Practical?" Haddy asked.

Draco nodded, "and an essay, about our findings, due for next week."

"Ouch," said Haddy, "he must be in a really bad mood. At least we have an excuse to use the room of requirements, we'll just have to make sure we ditch Ron and get to the room first."

"Don't worry about the room, I can get Crabbe and Goyle to guard it if we can sort it out before the lesson."

"Leave that to me," said Hermione, she'd followed begin Haddy and Draco, figuring they would be talking about something important and had been listening intently, "it may cost a few house points, maybe a detention, but I expect I can get away with being late better than you can."

Draco pulled his girlfriend into a hug and kissed her cheek, "I love you."

Hermione blushed. "You're only saying that because Gryffindor is ahead of Slytherin and you know Snape will use this as an excuse to even the score."

"Of course," said Draco grinning, "but I do love you."

"I love you too," Hermione replied, her face going from scarlet to crimson.

"Well done, Granger, taking one for the team," Blaise toasted to applause around the Slytherin table. The rest of the school turned to look at what the fuss was about and Hermione looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole. Haddy tried hard to suppress his snigger but he mustn't have been successful as Hermione sent him a Snape worthy glare throughout the rest of lunch.

Haddy was quite impatient as he waited for Hermione in their defense lesson that afternoon. Severus clearly wasn't amused, if the raised eyebrow and pointed look at the empty seat next to Haddy were anything to go by. Haddy could only shrug, not knowing exactly what his friend was up to. Severus was just about to give up waiting when Hermione came rushing into the classroom.

"So sorry I'm late professor Snape, had a bit of an emergency, women's problems," Hermione stage whispered to him.

"Indeed," inquired Severus, "perhaps in future you can be a bit more prepared although I have been informed these things can catch you unawares. Still, 10 points from Gryffindor for holding up class."

"Yes, sorry sir, I'll try not to let it happen again," replied Hermione taking her seat.

Haddy was impressed, it was rare someone could turn up to Severus's lesson late and not earn at least one detention but having spent the last 5 and a half years being Hermione's friend he knew better than to question a girl when it was that time of the month.

The lesson continued without further incident but Haddy was itching to find out if Hermione had managed to complete their preparations. Hermione even had to kick him under the table a few times to get him to concentrate and he was pretty sure Severus was purposely not looking his way so he didn't have to notice Haddy's lack of attention.

"Now, before you all leave, I have a new homework assignment for you," Severus announced. "You will split into trios to practice your non verbal spells. One person will cast, one will deflect and one will document the results. You will each take turns in the different positions which means I expect every essay to be completely individual. Anyone who attempts to copy another person's essay will be kicked off this course.

"You have a week to write 3 feet on your fellow students' progress. I will be testing you next week and expect the results to match up, if they don't you will automatically fail and will also risk getting kicked off the course. Take this assignment seriously and choose your partners accordingly."

Seamus was looking towards Lavender so Haddy happily turned to Dean. "Want to join us?"

"Whose us?" Dean asked.

"Not sure yet," Haddy replied, "we'll work it out later, but with Hermione, Draco, Pansy, Lys and I, you make six, so that's two tries between us. If we're quick we can grab the room of requirements for practice."

Remembering how handy the room was from the year before, Dean readily agreed and the six students hurried to gather their things. Severus caught Haddy's eye as they were leaving, obviously questioning if everything was set for later. Haddy nodded in assent and saw Severus let out a small sigh of relief. They quickly left the classroom while Ron was arguing with Lavender as to whether or not to team up with Seamus or Romilda Vane.

They got to the room in good time and Crabbe and Goyle were happy to be able to go, wanting to get down to the hall in plenty of time.

Haddy had to admit Hermione had done a very good job in sorting out the room. There were plenty of books as well as desks and space for them to practice. As the only one of the group who hadn't been in the room before, Pansy was particularly impressed.

"I still can't believe a place like this exists," she said, "although if it was going to exist anywhere it would be Hogwarts, and you say no one will know it's here?"

"Yes, so long as someone is occupying it," Hermione explained, "I wasn't sure who would be coming so I made it secret to anyone who wasn't with me. We'll have to stagger when we go down for dinner but otherwise we can stay here all night."

"Well some of us anyway," said Draco.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked.

"Papa has found something out about the death eater attack at the weekend and wants Draco and I to meet with him to discuss it. We'll be ducking out after dinner."

"You really don't trust professor Dumbledore do you?" Dean questioned.

"No, not in the slightest, nor Ron or professor McGonagall, so if you can keep quiet about this I'd appreciate it. Papa wouldn't have called a meeting like this if it wasn't something important."

Dean nodded, "is it just you and Malfoy going?"

"And professor Snape." Haddy said, "normally we would all be invited but it's too much of a risk for us all to leave the school."

"Yes, but they've promised to let us know everything that was discussed when we get back," said Hermione, levelling the two boys with a stare that brokered no argument.

"Of course, dear," Draco kissed her cheek which seemed to mollify her slightly, "now let's make a start on this assignment as we don't know how much time we'll have later."

They got to work, Haddy teaming up with Pansy and Dean, and started practicing silent casting. It was almost eerily quiet in the room, with only the comment about positioning or the scratch of a quill as people took notes, but still they were all breathing heavily from exertion by the time they had to go down for dinner.

Lysander volunteered to stay in the room while the rest of them went out for food; he had prearranged with Blaise for the other boy to raid the kitchen so they could have a bit of a date, at least until everyone else came back. Everyone except Haddy and Draco, of course.

Hermione was going to approach Severus in the hall and request he give them a few pointers with their assignment, as an excuse to cover his absence from the school, and he, Haddy and Draco were to portkey to the manor.

Haddy hated all this sneaking around and was almost surprised they hadn't been caught yet as the headmaster must be wondering where Yaxley was. He gave them some curious looks throughout the meal but didn't say anything; he would probably be on the look out for them and Haddy was worried that Ron would divulge the whereabouts of the room before they had a chance to do anything. Thankfully Ron seemed to be too caught up trying to placate Lavender to worry about anything else. Dean had promised to help cover as well, for which Haddy was grateful: he hated having to get his friends involved in this although Dean seemed to want to get to the truth as much as anyone else.

It was a slightly tense group that made their way back to the room of requirements. Haddy had felt several pairs of eyes on him as they left the great hall and he hoped nobody would follow them up yet, it would be too suspicious if they were seen going into a secret room and might cause people to ask too many questions. He could feel the anxiety building inside him and near jumped out of his skin when Severus clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax, love, everything will be fine," Severus whispered, soothingly stroking Haddy's neck with his thumb.

"I know Severus, but I can't help but feel like this is a make or break moment; that whatever papa has found could be exactly what we need but if we give Dumbledore too much ammunition we could miss our chance."

Severus dropped a kiss to his temple. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself, Hadrian. I know you spent a lot of your life believing that you had to be the saviour of the wizarding world but that's not true. You do not have to shoulder that responsibility any longer, love, so relax. Everything will be alright."

"Uncle Sev is right," Draco said, having overheard them, "papa just wants our input in this matter, we don't need to do anything more. He'll be able to sort things without us though and he wouldn't have called us if getting caught could jeopardize the plan entirely."

Haddy sighed. "I suppose you're right but I'd still rather get this sorted as soon as possible. I've got a relationship riding on this after all."

"Oh," said Severus, "do you plan on leaving me if the headmaster makes things too difficult?"

Haddy suddenly stopped short. "What, no! Severus I've told you I'm in this for the long haul and nothing anyone can do will change my mind," he declared adamantly.

Severus smiled at him, "I know, I was joking, angel, although it is still nice to hear you say it. The feeling is mutual, by the way."

Haddy stretched up to kiss his boyfriend, "I know, but you're right, it is nice to hear."

They'd reached the room again by this point and Hermione made a point of waiting a few minutes after they knocked to give Lys and Blaise time to make themselves presentable. They had still managed to button their shirts wrongly when everyone finally entered which caused a raised eyebrow from Severus but thankfully nothing more.

Ever the diligent teacher, Severus insisted on checking their progress before they portkeyed out as he didn't want to get caught out at a later date. Once he was satisfied with their progress and had given out a little advice, apparently Dean would see better results if he relaxed his grip on his wand slightly, they finally grabbed the quill that Severus had spelled and Haddy felt the familiar tug letting him know they were away.


	72. Chapter 72

There was quite a crowd gathered at the manor, even Tom and Peter had come back from their travels around Europe. The Lestranges were in attendance and Bella gave Haddy and Draco hugs when they arrived.

"Hello again my beautiful nephews, I hope you are well. Did Lysander not want to come?"

"No aunt Bella," Haddy replied, "he wanted to see you but was worried people would ask too many questions if he was to be found missing. People will expect Draco and I to come to something like this because of papa but Lys isn't exactly known for his political leanings."

Bella chuckled. "Yes, that's true. I wish we didn't have to stay fugitives, I'd even go back to Azkaban to finish my sentence, but I don't trust the aurors not to insist on giving me the kiss this time round."

"No," agreed Haddy, "it's not worth the risk. Lys is so happy now he's found you guys it would kill him to lose you."

Bella nodded, "thank you for saying that Haddy and I'm glad he's still doing well. I assume he and Mr Zabini are still doing well."

Draco snorted. "Very well, aunt Bella, they're practically attached at the hip."

"Only practically?" Rabastan asked, causing Rodolphus to scowl.

"That boy had better treat my son right is all I can say. I've already been to Azkaban once for him, I've no problem going again."

"Calm down old friend," Severus said, trying to placate the irate father, "I can assure you Mr Zabini's intentions to your son are honorable so you can rest easy."

Rodolphus grumbled, clearly not entirely placated, but a look from Bella was enough for him to keep his mouth shut on the subject.

Conversation stopped as Lucius walked in with the Weasley twins. If they were shocked at the sight of the Lestranges they covered it well and Haddy assumed Lucius had had words with them before they got there.

"Right, now that everyone has arrived we can begin."

"Wait Lucius," interrupted Xenophilius, "are you going to explain why wanted fugitives are in your house." He was clearly uncomfortable and Haddy worried that things would fall apart before they started.

"I'm afraid the information I have is too important for me to wait to divulge it. I beg you to forgive me for putting you in this untenable position but I hope you'll agree it was worth it."

There were a few murmurs while Lucius paused but no one moved from their seats so Haddy let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," Lucius continued, "now most of you are aware that there was a supposed death eater attack in Hogsmeade last weekend. Three men in black robes and masks set upon the twins and Haddy."

"Impossible!" Tom exclaimed, "I disbanded them."

"What do you mean you disbanded them?" Xenophilius asked.

"I was the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort," Tom explained causing many among them to gasp.

"I thought you said you defeated him, Haddy," Fred inquired.

"I said I defeated Voldemort, which I did, the creature we knew as Voldemort is gone and never coming back; I never said anything about Tom."

"Haddy is right," Tom said, "I am happy to explain exactly what happened, but some other time. I have a feeling that Lucius's news is of utmost importance."

"Thank you Tom," said Lucius, sounding slightly exasperated, "as I was saying there was an attack, perpetrated by Mulciber, Dolohov and Yaxley. I had already suspected that Yaxley had been playing both sides of before the attack and it appears that he had been talking to some of the more radical former death eaters and had managed to convince them that the dark lord hadn't truly been defeated and was just waiting for the most opportune time to come back again."

Tom scoffed but otherwise kept quiet so Lucius continued. "Given this, we didn't trust what the aurors would do once they captured him, so Severus decided to sneak Yaxley out before they arrived, so we could question him ourselves. Realising the position he was in the man sang like a canary even without veritaserum."

"But if he knew that the dark lord wasn't coming back, why did he orchestrate the attack?" Remus asked.

"To stop people from getting an inheritance test." This time it was Haddy who answered. "Because of how quickly we were able to organize things with Dean's interview, Dumbledore didn't have time to stop it any other way."

"But what's the problem with people getting an inheritance test," Rabastan wondered.

"He was worried people would start asking too many questions once they realised how many muggleborns were actually half bloods," Lucius informed them. "Many of us had wondered at the steady increase in the number of muggleborns entering wizarding society over the last few decades; it went from about one per year in my father's time to about four per year with the current generation of Hogwarts students. It turns out Dumbledore has been encouraging people who didn't qualify for his school to try and make it in the muggle world instead."

"Why would they be better off in the muggle world?" George asked.

"In the wizarding world, those who haven't been educated at a school are at a distinct disadvantage throughout their life," Tom answered. "Not only do they not have the connections that you all have, they also have to suffer with the stigma of everyone knowing that they weren't powerful enough to get in and, as such, it is very difficult for them to get a job or, if they do get one, to advance very far in their careers. However, in the muggle world one can achieve quite a lot of renown if one is, say, able to brew a basic healing potion and cure a community."

"Wouldn't the ministry notice?" Xenophilius asked. "Isn't that what so many departments are for?"

"Said departments are often woefully understaffed," explained Lucius, "and are more worried about what current students are up to than someone who can barely levitate a feather."

"But surely that would weaken the family's magic even more," said Bella.

"That's what Grindelwald was going on about!" Tom exclaimed.

"You've spoken to Grindelwald?" Xenophilius asked.

"Yes," replied Tom, "it wasn't difficult as there is basically no security at his prison. When I spoke to him before Christmas, Grindelwald was talking about Dumbledore wanting to have power over both muggles and wizards. I had wondered, at the time, how it could be possible without the risk of a more powerful witch or wizard emerging. I knew about him decrying magical creatures to weaken magic that way but I didn't realise he'd been working the other side as well."

"Quite," said Lucius, "it appears Dumbledore has been working on his plan for some time but now we are starting to gather evidence to expose him. As I said Yaxley was very forthcoming with how Dumbledore was paying him and his family members to convince witches and wizards to secretly go to the muggle world so they wouldn't 'bring shame on their families'."

"That's it then," Fred shouted, jumping up in excitement, "we've got him."

"Unfortunately not, Mr Weasley," Xenophilius explained, "Dumbledore still has a fairly good favourability rating amongst the general population so the word of a death eater won't hold much away against him."

"I thought the articles had been eroding that away," Haddy asked.

"They have," Xenophilius agreed, "but unfortunately Albus Dumbledore has spent years crafting a good public image that is proving hard to break in some circles."

"Yes," said Lucius, "although we have some help coming our way from the goblins. They have been performing an audit on Dumbledore's accounts since the summer and are finally ready to bring suit against him. The prophet is proving a little weary on the subject given Dumbledore's pervasively good reputation and the fact that it's magical creatures that are going against him. Xeno, I was hoping you would be able to cover the story in the Quibbler."

"Of course, Lucius, I would be happy to. Have the goblins send me any relevant information they are able to share and I can start writing some background pieces. With any luck we can sway public opinion some more before the trial."

"Do you need us to do anything, papa?" Draco asked.

"No son, you and Haddy just need to sit tight for now, keep your heads down. Haddy, you may get called to testify at some stage so it would be better if Dumbledore didn't have any ammunition against you." Haddy groaned, Lucius looked far too pleased when he said that.

"Fine," said Haddy, "we'll keep our heads down but I can't wait until this is all over." He sighed, collapsing back into Severus who automatically wrapped his arm around Haddy's shoulder.

"You could just get married," joked Rabastan, "then you wouldn't have to keep sneaking around."

There was a round of laughter at that comment and Haddy was happy to note Severus's smile at the comment: he was clearly not put off by the idea of marrying him, which caused Haddy to smile as well.

Lucius was obviously not as comfortable with the idea, "yes, well, no need to rush into anything. I know it can be difficult but there is no harm in waiting."

Narcissa laughed, "I like how you say that now, dear, but I do recall you having a different opinion when we were in school and I suggested we wait until I was 16 before taking things to the next level."

"Yes, well, that was an entirely different situation," Lucius said dismissively, causing another round of laughter, including Haddy and Severus. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand, the goblins are hoping to bring their suit before the Wizengamot in the next month. Obviously this will be quite the feat as a number on the council are still with Dumbledore."

"Would it help if I came clean about the werewolf attacks?" Remus asked.

"Not yet," replied Lucius, "I was hoping to capitalize once the bad press starts. The goblins assure me that their proof is irrefutable and that Dumbledore's financial crimes are expansive; the reason it has taken them so long to bring the suit in the first place. One of the reasons why I called you all is to ask if any of you would be willing to go public with your stories. My hope is to cause a cascade effect; if we can publish story after story of his misdeeds then we should be able to turn the tide of public opinion even against him and we may even be able to remove him from his positions of power."

Everyone agreed, including Xenophilius, who promised to publish every story and the mood in the room was tense but hopeful. With any luck Dumbledore would be gone by the end of the year and Haddy would be able to enjoy his relationship without having to worry. He looked at Severus who smiled back down at him, giving his shoulder a squeeze before dropping a light peck on his lips causing Haddy's smile to turn into a full blown grin.


	73. Chapter 73

The portkey deposited Severus, Haddy and Draco back into the room of requirements, thankful that the meeting hadn't gone on too long and it was not yet curfew. The rest of their friends were happy to see them back but agreed an explanation of what went on in the meeting could wait until they got back to their dorms, not wanting to risk getting caught in the corridors. They had just made it to the grand staircase when the headmaster accosted them.

"Ah, there you are Severus, I've been looking for you, where have you been?"

"Supervising the student's study session, professor Dumbledore. I set them somewhat of a difficult assignment and these groups," Severus said, indicating all of the students behind him, "had the foresight to ask for my advice in how to proceed."

"Is that so?" Dumbledore inquired, making eye contact with all of the students in turn, waiting for them to all nod. "Which room were you using?"

"We were in one of the sixth floor rooms," said Hermione, "room 84. It was the only one big enough for all of us."

"Yes, quite," Dumbledore replied, "I was just on my way there now. I have been searching for some time trying to find where you were. I would appreciate it if you informed someone of where you are studying next time, should someone need to contact any of you."

"Yes, I'm afraid I'm going to have to call an emergency meeting regarding the attack last weekend. The governors will be meeting later in the week but I wish to talk to the teachers tonight. Please head straight to the staff room, everyone else is already waiting."

"Of course headmaster, I will come immediately. Children, I expect you to head straight back to your dorms, there will be severe punishments for anyone who is caught out after curfew."

The students all nodded their heads and headed off to their respective dormitories as Severus followed the headmaster.

Filius Flitwick made eye contact with Severus as soon as he entered the staff room so Severus made a beeline for his old friend.

"Have I missed anything important?" Severus whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"Not particularly. Argus has been moaning about the possibility of the Weasley twins opening up a new shop in Hogsmeade. Apparently he has been having a hard enough time keeping up with their new products with them in Diagon Alley and is worried about how bad things will be if they come to our doorstep."

"When," corrected Severus, "their loan application has been approved and they should be opening up before the end of the school year."

Filius looked impressed. "Trust a master spy to have his finger on the pulse of all the latest gossip."

Severus smirked. "Not all. Unlike some people, I have no interest in the latest romances between students."

"Unless it involves a certain Gryffindor," Filius joked causing Severus to roll his eyes.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and eyed them pointedly, putting an end to their conversation and making Severus feel like an errant schoolboy.

"If we're quite ready we can start this important meeting," the headmaster announced. "As you are all aware there was a confirmed death eater attack in Hogsmeade last weekend. Two of the attackers were apprehended and are currently awaiting trial. Unfortunately one of them managed to escape capture." He looked directly at Severus at this point; he was clearly suspicious but Severus kept his face perfectly neutral.

"The fact that there is a death eater loose who has no problems attacking students is too great a risk and as such I will be cancelling all Hogsmeade weekends until he has been apprehended."

Severus wasn't particularly surprised by this announcement and wondered why this warranted such a meeting; as far as Severus could tell, this should be standard operating practice and he would be more surprised if the headmaster didn't do this.

Dumbledore continued, "I will also be reducing curfew as of tomorrow, including projects. I do not want any students wandering the halls at night and any that are caught will be severely punished."

"Not even seventh years?" Septima Vector exclaimed, "but N.E.W.T's are just around the corner and I know my Ravenclaws will be wanting as much time to study as possible."

"Of course," replied Dumbledore, "and seventh years only will be able to apply for study permits from their respective heads of houses to allow them to study in the library should it be deemed necessary. However, as this is done on an honorary basis, any of these students found anywhere other than the library will face immediate expulsion."

Severus restrained his growl but he knew he must have a dark look on his face. This was clearly meant as a punishment. He had told Dumbledore that he hadn't been able to determine the identity of the other assailant and was grateful Haddy had taken up his Occlumency training again. The boy would likely never be a master but he was at least he was good enough to keep the old fool out now; they would have been found out months ago if not.

A few of his colleagues had looked at Severus at Dumbledore's announcement, or more Severus's reaction to it, not that he cared; he was more concerned with how he could find a way of spending time with Haddy. The boy would likely be happy sneaking around with that damn cloak of his but Albus would definitely be on high alert for him so even that could prove difficult. Not that Haddy was the only one who would end up getting desperate to spend time together. Severus already cherished the nights they had managed to share, not only for the intimacy but also for the fact that they had been some of the best night's sleep he could ever remember having.

As Yaxley was being held safely with Lucius and was in no hurry to leave, knowing Dumbledore would likely have him killed, the restrictions would likely continue until Lucius's plan could come to fruition. That could be months away and wasn't even guaranteed to work.

Severus was locked so deeply away in his own thoughts that he'd lost complete track of what was being said in the meeting and needed a nudge on his leg from Filius to get his head back in the game.

"Yes, Argus," the headmaster was saying, "I'm afraid all detentions will have to finish before the new curfew to allow children to return to their dorms in time: I do not want to hear of that being used as an excuse by anyone caught out after hours. Now, as I said before, I will be making this announcement to the students at breakfast tomorrow. There will likely be some complaints but this is for the students safety so please pass any complaints or queries my way. Now, if there are no more questions I will bid you all goodnight and don't forget to consult the new patrol rota before you leave."

With that the old man left, obviously assuming they would continue to discuss it amongst themselves for some time yet.

"Is this really necessary," Pamona Sprout asked once she was sure the headmaster was out of ear shot, "I mean I understand that we have to be careful if there are death eaters about but do we really need to put such stringent measures in place because one person still on the loose?"

"One that we know of," replied Minerva McGonagall, "who knows how many more could be out there. The Lestranges have managed to evade capture since their escape from Azkaban. Who knows what they have been up to all this time."

"But that's the point," Filius said, "it has been nearly a year since the incident at the Ministry last summer and we have heard nothing definitive from them until now, even after the death of he-who-shall-not-be-named. Surely if they were planning something big we would have heard about it by now."

"Not necessarily," explained Horace Slugghorn, "the dark lord spent many years quietly cultivating a following before he made a move. If they learned from their master it could be decades before they make their move."

"So why bother with all this now?" Septima asked, clearly still worried about her student's ability to study.

"Because it only takes one wizard to cast cruciatus or, god forbid, Avada Kedavra, and a student's life is gone," huffed Poppy Pomfrey. "You're not the one who's going to have to deal with the aftermath should there be an attack and trust me when I say that one death eater can do plenty of damage."

"That may be," said Hagrid, "but one death eater is no match for Albus Dumbledore. He won't be able to do anything while he's headmaster."

Severus managed to hide his snort of laughter with a cough but he still caught the attention of Minerva. "Do you have something to add, Severus?"

"No, Minerva, I'm sure Albus Dumbledore has his reasons for implementing such measures. Who am I to question his wisdom?"

"I would have thought you would be particularly upset about these measures, Severus, since they will limit your ability to see your young man," Pamona giggled. 

The herbology professor was a renowned gossip and was famous for having accurate information about who was with whom, even amongst the student population. For this reason alone, Severus usually gave the woman a wide berth, the situation with Haddy only adding to his determination, and he was loath to give the rumour mill any more fodder than necessary.

"Mr Malfoy and I are very conscious that we are under increased scrutiny due to our somewhat unique position and, as such, have not done more than kiss within the school grounds." Severus didn't count this as a lie as, although the chamber of secrets might officially be 'Hogwarts property', he didn't know anyone who would class it as school ground as students generally couldn't access it.

Pamona almost looked disappointed but Minerva wasn't convinced. "I do find that hard to believe, Severus. Your relationship with that boy is clearly too close for you not to have gone further than kissing."

"I didn't say we hadn't, Minerva," Severus qualified, "but there have been holidays recently, have there not?"

Pamona cackled gleefully while Minerva looked like she was sucking a lemon.

"So the rumours of your engagement are true then?" Filius asked, "should we crack open the giggle water?"

"Not yet," Severus quickly interjected before his colleagues got carried away. After a decade of teaching he knew what they were like when it came to an excuse to celebrate, read drink, and he needed to stop them quickly before the alcohol began to flow.

There was a lot of muttering at his comment and he thought he saw some money exchanging hands so Severus figured this was a good time to leave. He took a glance at the patrol rota and wasn't particularly surprised to see that he was on patrol every night over the weekend.

Minerva must have caught something in his expression as she called over to him, "we've all had to pull extra shifts Severus and Albus wanted to keep your week free as he knows how much you love doling out detentions."

Severus simply nodded, biting back the comment that he had barely been issuing any detentions recently; partly so he had an excuse not to give any to Haddy as he was sure the old coot would intervene and partly to keep his evenings free on the off chance Haddy would come and visit him. The boy hadn't and while Severus had to admire his restraint a part of him longed to hold his mate in his arms again and devour those lush, pink lips.

He bid the other teachers goodnight, wanting to make an escape before he got too deep into thoughts of his mate and quickly made his way back to his rooms. If Haddy wasn't going to show up tonight then Severus would have to make do with the scent of him that still lingered on his robes and the memory of their last encounter. In all fairness, that alone would likely be enough to get Severus through the night but he couldn't wait until he could make some more memories, preferably when they didn't have to worry about sneaking around.


	74. Chapter 74

Haddy had been slightly apprehensive when they went down for breakfast the next day. He had been glad for Hermione's forethought in using the marauders map to check Dumbledore's progress as he searched for them so she would be able to name somewhere he hadn't searched. It must have wound the old man up that he had no proof that they were up to something. Dumbledore's announcement, however, had thrown the whole school into an uproar and was all anyone could talk about all day.

Haddy wasn't so worried, having both the invisibility cloak and the map, but he couldn't help but feel like this was meant to be some sort of punishment and, as such, he would have to be more careful when he snuck out at night. He thought he'd seen Ron giving him the side eye throughout lessons but had pointedly ignored his former friend; there was no way he would even contemplate lending the ginger got any of his treasures after how he'd been acting recently and it's not like Dumbledore didn't know about them anyway.

Thankfully they had potions that afternoon. Although he wouldn't have lessons with Severus, he would have a chance to sneak out to see him. Slugghorn had set them a research task for their homework so he and Hermione had a perfect excuse to go to the Slytherin common room and from there Haddy could easily go and see his brother's head of house.

Thankfully there was a plethora of potions texts so it didn't take long for them to finish their essay, especially working together, and they were sat on the sofas having a chat and drinking tea when Severus came into the Slytherin common room.

"I wondered where you had all gotten to," he said, walking over to the group, "I was worried when you weren't at dinner, I do hope you've eaten something."

"Yes uncle Sev," Draco replied, "Dobby was kind enough to bring us some food. I'm sorry we worried you we just lost track of time but at least our essay is finished."

"Well I suppose that's something anyway, do keep an eye on the time, it'll be curfew soon and I don't want any of you to get into trouble." Severus turned to leave but Haddy jumped up quickly to stop him.

"Severus would it be alright if we had a quick chat?"

"Of course Hadrian, although we may get disturbed if we go to my private quarters."

"You can go to the sixth year dorms," suggested Draco, "there's no one up there at the moment."

Severus did a quick check of the room to confirm what Draco said was true before nodding his head and gesturing for Haddy to follow him.

Severus shut the door as soon as they were both in the room and soon found his arms full as Hadrian dived into him, kissing him deeply. Severus returned the kiss for a few moments, sating his desire, before pulling back slightly.

"Not that I'm complaining, love, but i thought you wanted to talk."

"Can't we talk and make out at the same time?" Haddy asked, moving to nuzzle Severus's neck.

Severus moaned and fell back against the door, revelling in the feeling of having Haddy in his arms again. "I do enjoy spending time with you like this, Hadrian, but I don't think my students would be too happy if we ended up having sex in their dorm."

"Oh, Draco would definitely kill me but we have so little chance to be together at the moment, especially with these stupid new curfew rules, and I want to make the most of it."

Severus sighed, his hands finding their way under Haddy's uniform, wanting to feel his mate's skin. "Fine angel, but what did you want to talk about?"

"I don't want to keep going on like this. I know papa has a plan but it could take months and we don't even know for sure if it will work. I hate having to sneak around just to spend a bit of time with you."

"I know, Hadrian, and I feel the same, but are you sure you're ready to do what we need to do? You're not even 17 yet, you're still so young, I don't want you rushing into something and regretting it a few years down the line."

Haddy pulled back and looked Severus straight in the eye. "I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I've been thinking about this seriously for months and I know that you're the only person I want to be with. Honestly Severus, I can't wait to be able to spend everyday with you."

Haddy's words, and the raw power of the emotions behind them, took Severus's breath away and it took him a few moments to get himself together.

"I feel exactly the same way Hadrian. Mate or not, there is no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."

Haddy crashed their lips together, the ferocious kiss conveying all the feelings that words were not enough to convey. Hands wound their way into each other's hair as they both got lost in the overwhelming sensations.

They were both panting heavily when Haddy finally collected his wits enough to pull away.

"So how do you want to do this then?" Haddy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well do you want to be the one to officially pop the question or do you not care? And should we make a big spectacle or let people figure it out for themselves?"

"You really have been thinking about this, haven't you?" Haddy nodded his head and Severus sighed. "Honestly love, I don't care one bit who asks whom but I'd rather not make a big spectacle of it. So much of our relationship has been in the public eye it would be nice to have something private for a bit."

"Plus it'll be nice to have everyone question when it actually became official; it might prevent people from being able to collect on their bets for a bit."

Haddy chuckled at his own joke but Severus merely raised an eyebrow.

"That is a positively evil suggestion, Hadrian. I fear I'm becoming a bad influence on you."

"No, I'm just getting to know my inner Slytherin. I figure it can only help with all the Slytherins I'm friends with outside."

"So long as you don't expect me to start embracing my inner Gryffindor; I can assure you it doesn't exist."

Haddy gave him a quick peck. "Don't worry love, I've already come to terms with the fact that you will never have any Gryffindor in you."

Severus looked at his mate questioningly. He was sure there was some innuendo there but he wasn't sure whether it was intentional or not.

"Hadrian, is that going to be a problem? I know you've done research on vampires so you know they are always the dominant ones in the relationship. You have never been with anyone else, are you sure that you don't want to try experiencing how things could be with someone else? I don't want you to start regretting things in the future."

"Are you saying that you want me to sleep with someone else?" Haddy asked incredulously.

"God no! But if we are going to spend the rest of our long lives together then I don't want you wondering whether you missed out on something twenty years down the line. If you start regretting your choices you could end up resenting me and I don't want you becoming unhappy with your choices."

Haddy smiled at him. "You are the only person I ever want to be with, Severus, and the more time we spend together the more sure I am about that fact. I am more than happy with how our relationship is and the only thing I want is to be able to spend more time with you."

Severus couldn't help but smile back. "So long as you're sure, love. I will always do everything that I can to make you happy."

"In that case, there is only one answer you can give to my next question," said Haddy, reaching into his back pocket and dropping down on one knee, "Severus Snape, will you marry me?"

Severus was shocked. "Where in God's name did you get that?" he asked, staring at the ring in Haddy's hand. There was a moderately sized black stone set in a wide silver band. The ring itself wasn't overly ostentatious but it almost hummed with power and Severus was sure there was some strong magic woven into it.

"The Black family vault," Haddy explained, "I got it out last weekend when I went to Gringotts with Dean, but didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to answer a question with a question?"

Severus glanced back at the boy who was still kneeling on the floor, looking up at Severus's with a hopeful but slightly worried expression on his face and Severus couldn't help but smile.

"Of course I'll marry you Haddy, did you actually think I'd turn you down?"

"Maybe," Haddy shrugged sheepishly, "I mean I know you love me but I was worried you'd think it was too soon."

"It's probably sooner than I would have preferred but circumstance is forcing our hand somewhat and I would certainly never turn you down, Hadrian, although I can't believe you're proposing to me with a Bkack family ring."

"I checked with mama and aunt Bella, via Lys of course, and they said it was fine so don't worry. May I put this on you now?"

Severus held out his left hand for Haddy, trying to ignore the slight tremor of excitement that ran through it. "So your parents are already aware of your intentions, that's good. I was slightly worried as your father is a force to be reckoned with when he's upset."

Haddy lovingly ran his thumb over the ring as he stared at it, gently holding his new fiance's hand. "Mama said she would handle papa although I'm pretty sure he knew this was coming. By the way, if you have any requests for the ceremony I'd let mama know soon, I'm pretty sure she's just waiting for a date before she sends out invites."

Severus groaned and let his head bang back against the door. "I suppose there's no chance of a private ceremony," Haddy shook his head, "shame, I hate the idea of having to share you with a host of people I don't know."

Haddy chuckled as Draco yelled up the stairs, "the door still counts as the dorm Haddy, remember you're promise."

"And what promise might this be, Hadrian?"

"Only that I wouldn't do anything up here that I wouldn't do anything up here that I wouldn't do in the corridors."

It was Severus's turn to laugh now. "I think my Godson is underestimating what his dear brother would do in this school's hallowed halls."

"Maybe we can test to see how far I'd be willing to go one day," Haddy cleared suggestively causing Severus to groan with a mixture of arousal and despair; he really had created a monster and his vampiric side was revelling in it. He had to admit that he was curious to see just how far Haddy was willing to go although he might have to work on his stamina if he was planning on keeping up.

Haddy placed a gentle kiss on the ring followed by another on his lips. Severus smiled lovingly back, entwining their fingers before copying Haddy's gestures.

"I love you, Hadrian Malfoy, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you."

"I love you too, Severus Snape, and don't worry, I'm sure with my mother's planning we'll be married before the start of the next school year."

"Angel, if your mother has anything to do with it we'll be married to before the end of this one."

They descended into a fit of giggles that was only broken when Hermione called up the stairs, "it's nearly time for curfew, Haddy, we need to head back."

Haddy groaned, "I can't wait until the day when that isn't an issue anymore."

Severus chuckled. "I won't be long now love, and the spring break is coming up soon, we'll be able to spend some time together then."

"Good," said Haddy, stepping back so Severus could open the door, "I can't wait. By the way, do you want to make a big announcement or wait for people to realise on their own?"

Severus looked down at his ring, the dark, obsidian stone glinting even in the low light of the dungeons. "Let them figure it out," he replied, "given the important people already know. The Slytherins will notice straight away but I'll be interested to see how long it takes the rest of the school."

They walked back to the common room hand in hand and, as Severus predicted, all the students present looked straight to Severus's hand. Haddy was happy to note they all smiled when they noticed the ring although no one made a fuss, taking their cue from the pair and carrying on as if nothing had happened even when the newly engaged couple kissed goodbye at the door.

Hermione lasted until they got out of the dungeons.

"So congratulations are in order then?"

Haddy grinned. "Yes, yes it is. I find it slightly unbelievable that he actually said yes though."

"Really? I think the only reason he hadn't asked you himself is because of your age, you are his mate after all."

"I know, but it's more than that: I think he truly cares about me despite him being a vampire."

"Of course he does!" Hermione exclaimed, "anyone with eyes can see how much he cares about you, which is about the same as you care about him."

Haddy ducked his head to hide his blush: at the moment he felt like the luckiest man in the world and nothing could spoil his mood.


	75. Chapter 75

Haddy was excited as he made his way down for breakfast the next day. Hermione had caught Lysander's eye when they'd got back to the common room the night before; she'd simply nodded and that had been enough to let his cousin know what had happened and Lysander had mouthed 'congratulations' on their way up to bed.

Not that Haddy had been able to get to sleep at all; he'd been a twitchy ball of energy tossing and turning in bed. He'd finally given up on going to sleep around midnight and had cautiously made his way to the owlery having decided to let his parents know the good news. Thankfully, with both his invisibility cloak and the marauders map, it was not too difficult to make his way there without getting spotted. Someone might get suspicious of Hedwig suddenly flying out in the middle of the night but Haddy trusted her to be quick but careful and he had no doubt that she'd made it to his parents house.

He decided to sit at the Gryffindor table that morning, not trusting himself amongst the Slytherins who all appeared to be in high spirits, although it presented as more of a haughty air than the rowdy boisterousness that he would expect from his own housemates. As it was he couldn't keep his eyes off the staff table: Severus kept playing with the ring, twisting almost unconsciously as he surveyed the students. The headmaster seemed to have noticed; the hint of a dark scowl around his usually jovial features somewhat of a giveaway, although he seemed to be trying not to draw attention to it.

Haddy obviously wasn't being very subtle either as Hermione gave him a hard kick under the table, not that Haddy cared, he simply shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her causing her to shake her head in exasperation.

At that point the mail came in and Haddy was happy to see Hedwig swooping in with a letter from his parents, or more specifically from his mother. Narcissa was ecstatic to hear his news and promised Lucius was happy for them both even if he was a little upset that he couldn't spend more time with him. Haddy made a promise to himself to message his father more to try and reassure him that Haddy would always be his son even after he gets married.

Luna came over to see him bearing gifts: a copy of the Quibbler.

"Dad sent over an extra copy, he figured you would want to see this."

Haddy thanked her as she left the hall and Hermione and Lysander crowded around to read the paper and read the latest article by Rita Skeeter.

'The Great Magical Exodus!

The goblins of Gringotts bank held an event last weekend allowing anybody to come in and take an inheritance test to determine their magical heritage. This experiment was met with mixed reviews, many questioning why a person would want to 'check their heritage'?

Many children were orphaned in the aftermath of the first wizarding war and it took the Ministry many years to track everyone down and there were many disturbances, in the meantime, from bursts of accidental magic. This caused a lot of disruption and more than one instance of mass memory charms being utilised to keep the magical world secret. Ministers made a promise to the magical community at that point that they would keep accurate records of all magical children born meaning it would be easier to keep track of any possible problems that may arise.

A byproduct of this meant that it was easier for people to track their heritage, or that of possible sources, a pastime greatly favoured in certain circles, but there appears to be some large gaps in the information that the goblins stunt has unearthed.

For many years some academics have queried the seeming increase in muggle-born witches and wizards that appear on the books of Hogwarts each year, nearly 4 times as high as Beauxbaton, but the results from the weekend show this has not been the case at all. Nearly ¾ of the muggle-born witches and wizards tested turned out to, in fact, be half-blood which has prompted a lot of speculation as to how this could have happened.

This intrepid reporter has been putting her sleuthing skills to the test and I may well have fallen upon the answer. I attended the event and was able to interview many of the attendees and, from there, some of their relatives. It appears, dear readers, that magicals who are not powerful enough to attend a magical education institution are being encouraged to make it in the muggle world instead.

I was able to talk to several people who had undertaken this move, often with great success, and it seems they were targeted, once they reached their majority, by high standing members of wizarding society and given the means to make a new life, sometimes even under a new name.

I have reports of both Corban Yaxley and Ignatius Prewitt confronting people; two wizards who seemed to be on opposite sides of the last war seemingly working together to achieve some heretofore unknown goal. They were telling people different stories; either that they could find great fortune in the muggle world or that they were a disgrace to their families and should leave so they don't bring them into further disrepute. The arguments seemed to be tailored to best appeal to the individual which begs the question as to how much planning had gone into this operation and how long it had been going on.

Unfortunately I was unable to contact many relatives as they had been killed during the previous wizarding war. It does, however, mean we will have to alter some of our records as if means that victims of the dark lord who we previously thought to be muggle were actually magical and, given Mr Yaxley's ties to the death eaters, also brings up questions as to whether or not these people were purposely targeted because they were magical.

There are many questions that have been brought up by this investigation but do not worry my friends, this reporter will be delving deeper into this story to try and uncover the truth and will keep you all up to date on anything I am able to unearth.'

Haddy looked up to the head table once he finished reading and could hardly keep the grin off his face when he saw the headmaster scowling: hopefully the wizarding community would start questioning some things for themselves, things that they may have previously taken as fact, which would help show the seeds for when news of the headmaster's misdeeds finally came out.

The news spread rapidly around the castle, as news was wont to do, and Haddy had to chuckle at the fact that everyone was so interested in this latest development that nobody had noticed Severus's latest accessory. The man wasn't even trying to hide it but it just went to show you that people frequently didn't see what was right in front of their faces.

It actually became a bit of a running joke amongst Slytherin students who would make a point in checking the various betting pools each day and privately chuckling as people actually made new wagers.

Friday came with few at the school any the wiser and Haddy decided to push his luck a bit and go and visit his fiance. Knowing Severus was out on patrol so Haddy decided to use his map and cloak to intercept him.

Haddy thought he was doing quite well trailing his partner until they came to a portrait free corridor and Haddy found himself suddenly slammed against the wall, his invisibility cloak being pulled off him.

"Nice try Haddy, but I would be able to smell your blood from miles away so I'm afraid you have no chance of being able to sneak up on me any time soon."

"I'm not sure how much I mind that, at least I know you'll be able to find me should I ever get lost."

"I will always find you, Hadrian, and I will always save you."

Haddy leaned forward to give his partner a kiss. "The feeling is more than mutual, love, although I was following you for a reason."

"And what would that be angel?"

"Well I was hoping to be able to spend the night with you. No one will expect you to be up early after a night of patrolling and Hermione and the guys are up for covering for me in the morning."

"Overnight? My Hadrian, that is ambitious even for you. There is the possibility of the headmaster showing up uninvited again. I know your father has managed to mitigate the punishments for getting caught, and obviously being engaged should help our defense, but I'd still rather not take too much risk."

"I may have something to help with that." Haddy pulled his map out and Severus's eyes went wide as he studied it, the dot labelled Albus Dumbledore moving around the grand staircases.

"That is an impressive bit of magic, Hadrian."

"Yes, unfortunately I can't take credit, it was the marauders. I do intend on asking Remus and Peter how they accomplished it though."

Severus hummed. "As loath as I am to admit it, it appears that those miscreants have been useful for something." He pointed to the headmaster's dot, "it seems like the old man is heading to check up on me; tonight might be a good night to have a sleepover afterall."

Haddy grinned, "true, he can't come and bother you twice on one night without a very good reason."

"Precisely, and with Yaxley still with Lucius there is no one that the headmaster can call on for a surprise attack. Just make sure you stay back until he has left the dungeons; he knows about your cloak and will likely assume you'll be hiding out nearby."

"A classroom should suffice," said Haddy, "especially if the doors shut. He might know about the cloak but he doesn't know about the map and I can follow his movements from anywhere with that."

They had agreed on a plan and Severus made his way to his quarters and, true to form, the headmaster was waiting outside his door.

"Good evening, Severus, I hope your patrol went well tonight."

"Blessedly quiet, Albus, so I can't complain too much. I may have a reputation for enjoying taking house points away from students but I'd rather they stay safe."

"Quite true, although I'm surprised you didn't come across your young fiance, I might have thought you would want to spend some more time together after this happy development."

"Don't worry Albus, I will certainly not encourage Hadrian to break the rules, I fear you've done more than enough of that over the years for both of us."

"Yes, well, there was a war to be fought, Severus, and sacrifices must be made."

The headmaster seemed uncomfortable so Severus decided to push his advantage, wanting to get the old coot to bugger off so he could enjoy the rest of his night. "Of course, now if that is all, it has been a long night and I would like to get some sleep; I have a fair amount of marking to do in the morning and I'm sure I'll have to deal with some emergency in the house."

"No, no issue Severus, I just wanted to check to make sure everything was alright. You do seem to have drawn the short straw somewhat when it comes to the patrols."

And whose fault is that, Severus thought but managed to bite his tongue. "It's fine, Albus, it doesn't matter to me which days I patrol as long as I can get a good rest after," Severus said, giving the headmaster a pointed look.

"Alright Severus, I get the message, I just wanted to let you know that I am willing to listen should you ever wish to change your days, I'm sure we could come to some arrangement."

Severus growled. "As I said Albus, I have no issues so if you don't mind." He gestured to his door and Dumbpedore finally moved. Severus didn't even look at him again as he bid the headmaster goodnight and stalked to his chamber to await Hadrian's arrival.


	76. Chapter 76

Severus sat in his chair by the fire, reading as he waited for Haddy to arrive. He had given the boy his password so only had to get comfortable and wait. He had plans for tonight, wanting to make the most of their precious time together and exert a bit of dominance again in their relationship after Haddy's last couple of stunts: it wouldn't do to let his young lover have the upper hand for too long.

Severus didn't have to wait too long before the entrance to his quarters opened and shut. He finished his page before looking up to see Haddy kneeling in front of him, head down and hands clasped behind his back in a submissive pose, naked as the day he was born save for the collar he'd presented to Severus on Valentine's. It took all of Severus's resolve not to pounce on him there and then but he managed to keep himself in check.

He marked his page and carefully put his book on his side table before addressing his mate.

"Well done, pet, it does please me when you follow instructions so well."

He unfolded his robes to reveal where he'd already undone his trousers, his cock already hard thanks all his thoughts about what they would be getting up to tonight. 

Haddy's eyes flickered up briefly and he swallowed before looking back down at Severus's feet.

"Do you like what you see, pet," Severus said, gently stroking himself, "I always knew you were a whore for my cock. Why don't you come over and show me just how much you love it."

Haddy didn't need to be told twice and instantly dived forward, rubbing his face into Severus's crotch, inhaling deeply as he nuzzled before he began to place gentle kisses along his length.

Severus sighed and sank back into his chair, his legs spreading more to allow Haddy better access to worship his cock and balls. Haddy moaned as he placed a trail of sucking kisses along the vein, finishing at the tip where he allowed his tongue to play with the slit, tasting the precum that had started to bead there. Haddy took the head into his mouth and sucked, swirling his tongue around before dropping halfway down his length. Severus was just about to reprimand his pet for going too far, wanting Haddy to draw out his ministrations so they could really enjoy the act, when Haddy pulled off to nuzzle and mouth his balls.

Severus groaned and stroked Haddy's hair.

"Well done, pet. You knew just what I was wanting."

"Of course sir, I live to please you."

"I know you do pet, and I know you love my cock as well."

"Yes sir, I love it so much. I always want it in me."

"That's good to know. Just remember to take your time, we have the rest of the night after all and I have plans."

Haddy moaned. "I can't wait sir, whatever you want to do, I just want to please you."

"I'll remember you said that pet. Let's stop for now, as much as we're both enjoying this you need a bit more training; don't think I didn't notice you eyeing my cock without permission."

Haddy sat back on his heels, head down as he looked at the floor again. "I'm sorry sir."

"That may be but it just goes to show you have some way to go before you become the perfect pet. Do you want me to train you to be a perfect pet for me?"

"Yes, sir, I'll do whatever it takes, I want to do everything I can to please you."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, bend over the coffee table and put your hands behind your back."

Haddy quickly complied and Severus took a deep breath to calm himself a bit before he stood up and pulled out his box of toys he'd retrieved from the bedroom earlier: Haddy wasn't the only one able to shop.

Haddy had gasped at the sound and was twitching slightly, clearly curious as to what was happening but he was being good and otherwise stayed still. Severus took out some leather cuffs and attached them to Haddy's wrists, bending the boy's arms up before connecting them.

"I think we're going to have to work on your flexibility pet, if we're going to do this more," Severus said, noticing a tightness across Haddy's shoulders, "the rules apply if you're uncomfortable as well as if you don't like what I'm doing, colour?"

"Green, sir."

"Good," Severus gave Haddy's shoulders a quick rub, wanting the boy to relax so he didn't accidentally strain something. "Now, for your punishment I had something new in mind. I know you enjoy a good spanking but I'm curious how you'll take to a riding crop?"

Haddy gulped, "I'd like to try sir."

"Excellent," said Severus, giving Haddy's backside a massage, wanting to stimulate the area, getting the blood flowing before he got down to business, allowing his fingers to gently brush against Haddy's entrance every now and then, happy to find it unprepared. Before they had separated earlier Severus had told Haddy not to do anything as he wanted to take his time; a lot of their previous encounters had been rushed and Severus was looking forward to taking his time, learning every facet of his mate's body.

"Now, as this is the first time we're going to be trying something more intense I'm going to build up slowly. You are going to receive 10 slaps from my hand, you are going to count them off and thank me for each one."

Severus didn't give Haddy a chance to think before bringing his hand down hard on the fleshiest part of his rump, causing Haddy to gasp in surprise.

"One, thank you sir."

Severus didn't bother praising him with words and simply continued his work. To Haddy's credit he kept up with Severus's instructions, thanking him for each blow that rained down on his rear. Severus had tried to vary where the blows landed, wanting to warm up the flesh without over stimulating it, ready for the crop.

By the time he reached blow 10, all of Haddy's bottom and the tops of his thighs were a lovely shade of cherry red.

"10, thank you sir," said Haddy, panting.

Severus had to take some calming breaths himself, his cock already rock hard. He picked up the crop and gently stroked it along the tender flesh of Haddy's arse, causing the boys to shiver.

"It'll be 10 strikes with the crop pet, an adequate punishment for impertinence I believe. Colour?"

"Green, sir."

"Good," Severus said, stroking the red skin, "now relax pet. I won't have you count this time, I'll be going slowly and I want you to concentrate on how it feels. Remember to be honest with me should you get uncomfortable for any reason."

"Yes, sir," Haddy replied, taking a deep breath and relaxing into his position.

Severus aimed his first blow across the sweet spot of Haddy's right cheek, pulling his hand back a bit just before it hit to soften the blow slightly. Haddy gasped as an angry red welt began to bloom. Severus waited a moment before repeating the treatment to the other side. When Haddy took a breath and relaxed again, Severus took it as a sign that he was comfortable with the treatment and began to slowly increase the intensity of the blows, trying to vary their placement so he could see each individual mark as it formed.

Severus's cock was leaking steadily as the last blow landed and Haddy was coated with a sheen of sweat.

"Did you enjoy that pet?" Severus asked as he picked up a jar of healing salve and began administering it to Haddy's abused arse, letting his fingers slip along Haddy's crack.

"Yes, sir," moaned Haddy, wriggling his backside against Severus's questing digits.

Knowing he was skating the edge of climax himself, Severus wasted no time in picking up the lube he'd brought with him and liberally coated his hand before he began stretching his partner.

Pushing in one finger with little warning, Severus mirrored Haddy's gasp at how hot and tight his mate was. Using his free hand to palm his erection to take the edge off, Severus tried to picture the headmaster naked in a bid to calm himself down.

He quickly worked in a second finger and marveled at how quickly his mate opened up for him, moaning wantonly as he tried desperately to push back but failing as he had no leverage.

"Easy now pet, remember what I said about not trying to take more than I give you."

"Sorry, sir, but it feels good to have your fingers in me again and I'm so close."

"In that case I advise you try and hold back as I am far from finished with you and refuse to fuck you if you end up passing out again because you came so hard."

Haddy stilled at Severus's words and gulped before trying to calm himself down.

"Sorry sir, I'll be good, I promise."

"I'm glad to hear that, pet," Severus said, scissoring his fingers before adding a third, "I would hate to have to punish you, especially as you seemed to enjoy being whipped. I fear the only way to truly punish you would be to deny you my cock."

Haddy whined. "Please sir, no, anything but that. I'll be good, I promise."

"I should hope so," Severus muttered, removing his fingers which made Haddy keen and stick his arse out at the loss. At this point Severus thought he'd have as hard a time as Haddy when it came to denying the boy sex and he hated to think of what it would be like when they finally bonded.

He poured the lube over his cock and lined it up at Haddy's entrance before quickly pushing in in one stroke. Once fully seated he held himself still, as much for his own sake as Haddy's, as he felt the boys muscles contract around him, still not used to having a real cock inside. He waited until Haddy's breathing became more even, the walls of his anus relaxing slightly around him, before he began to move.

Severus started off with shallow thrusts, letting Haddy loosen up a bit more while trying to find the perfect spot, the little bundle of nerves inside his mate. He knew he'd found it when Haddy called out.

"Oh god, yes, that's it."

Severus ignored the fact that his sub was speaking out of turn, knowing Haddy was still new to this: he could always punish him another day, right now he needed to concentrate. It was a fine line between wanting to prolong the act to make it more enjoyable for the both of them whilst keeping his vampiric instinct at bay. He could feel his fangs elongation and growled, digging his fingers into Haddy's hips as he fought the desire to bend forward and feed.

He wasn't quite so worried if he slipped up now, they were already engaged and it likely wouldn't be long until Narcissa wore Lucius down and they were walking down the aisle. He would still prefer it if they were married before they bonded, he wanted to give Haddy as much time as he could to change his mind even though he doubted that would happen. Haddy was currently arching underneath him, using what little movement he had to try and take Severus as deep within him as possible.

"Listen to you, pet, moaning like the wanton whore you are, such a slut for my cock. Bet you would like it even harder wouldn't you, want me pounding your pretty little hole as hard as I can?"

"Please sir," Haddy painted, "more, harder, so close."

"Not yet, pet," Severus growled as he pistoned his hips in and out of Haddy's willing hole, bruising the skin beneath his fingers as he bit down on his lip, his fangs easily breaking the skin.

"Please, sir, I can't hold back, it feels so good," Haddy cried and Severus took pity on him, sure there were tears streaming down his face.

"Then cum for me Haddy, show me how much you love this."

It only took a few more thrusts hitting the prostate and Haddy was spilling his release beneath them and collapsing onto the table. Severus wasn't far behind, slamming into Haddy and biting down on his forearm to stop himself from biting the delectable boy beneath him.

The taste of his own bitter blood flooding into his mouth was enough to stem his baser urges and help him come back to his senses enough not to drop onto his lover in exhaustion. He carefully removed the cuffs and went to rub Haddy's shoulders, knowing they must be sore from being held back for so long.

"Stop Severus, your bleeding. Let me sort that first before you try and give me a massage."

Severus got up and let Haddy see to his wounds, still too busy trying to catch his breath to talk. It had been far too long since he'd had a young, willing lover and he was starting to think he'd have to start building up his stamina if they were ever to attempt anything more than that.

They were both yawning by the time Haddy finished healing his arm and lip and Severus just had enough energy to lead his mate to the bathroom to wash clean before they fell into bed, a tangle of limbs, not even a goodnight passing their lips before they were both sound asleep.


	77. Chapter 77

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the sparodic updates my muse has disappeared on me but don't worry I haven't abandoned this story, I just need to find a new spark of inspiration. Hopefully it'll come soon and thank you for your continued support it is greatly appreciated.

Haddy was freezing cold when he woke up and it took him a few minutes to realise why. He and Severus had barely made it to bed after his fiance had fucked his brains out the night before, the drying cum that had leaked out of his arse was evidence that it definitely hadn't been a dream. He rolled his stiff shoulders before reaching for the duvet to cover them, snuggling back up to Severus in an attempt to get warm.

"What time is it?" Severus asked.

"Don't know, don't care, too early," Haddy replied, placing a kiss on Severus's neck.

"How do you know it's too early if you haven't checked the time?"

"It's Saturday after you've had patrol, no one will be expecting you for breakfast which means we can cuddle until lunchtime without anyone questioning our whereabouts so lay still as I fully intend to make the most of this."

"Aren't you bossy this morning. I swear you become more of a Malfoy every day Hadrian."

"If that was meant to be an insult you're losing your touch, love."

Severus dropped a kiss to the top of Haddy's head. "I will never insult you ever again Hadrian, you are my perfect mate and I would be stupid to do anything to jeopardise our relationship."

Severus felt rather than saw Haddy smile as he tucked his head into the crook of Severus's neck, muttering "you're perfect too," into his skin. The pair settled back and managed a couple more hours sleep before empty stomachs and full bladders caused them to rouse one more.

Haddy had managed to call Dobby the day before, while he was waiting for Dumbledore to leave the dungeons, and had arranged for the house elf to bring him some clothes and arrange for breakfast for them in Severus's quarters for whenever they woke up. As it was there was a lavish feast waiting for them in the main living area although, unfortunately, it was spread out across the very coffee table Haddy himself had been spread out on the night before. Haddy felt himself blush and wondered if he would ever be able to look at that piece of furniture again without remembering the incident.

Severus seemed to read his mind on the subject, however, and managed to put him at ease in a way only he could. "I hope you don't plan on getting this worked up every time Hadrian. Things could get very tricky very quickly as I have plans to take you on every piece of furniture I own."

A quick glance around the room soon changed the way Haddy's mind was working and he was soon mentally assessing items, wondering what position would be required to make Severus's plan a reality.

Severus chuckled, "I should have known it wouldn't take much to switch your thinking."

"Ssh you, it's your fault for giving me ideas. You're a bad influence."

Severus laughed even harder. "Love, I doubt even your doting father would believe that."

Haddy pouted but still accepted the cup of tea Severus handed him with a thank you; dark with two sugars, just the way he liked it. It made him smile to realise how well Severus knew him already.

"I can't wait till we're married and can do this every day."

"Every day, Hadrian? That might be a little tricky unless you plan on waiting until after you graduate to tie the knot."

"God no! I was actually hoping we could do it over the summer. I couldn't stand another year of sneaking around like this."

"For once I am in agreement with you, at least as far as the timeline for our relationship goes. I couldn't imagine giving you up now I've had you but it kills me to know that we're putting your education at risk meeting like this."

"And you're job, which reminds me," he said, getting up and moving to the entrance where he'd folded up his things the night before.

"I don't care about my job, or have you forgotten I have an estate and a small fortune in Basilisk parts at my disposal, and what are you doing?" Severus asked as Haddy once again sat down next to Severus on the sofa.

Haddy pointed his wand at the blank parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he said and Severus stared, gobsmacked, as the sheet was filled with a map of the castle.

"So that's how it works. Trust the marauders to come up with such an inane incantation."

"I know, love," Haddy said with a grin, "unfortunately we can't all be as inventive as the half blood prince."

Severus scoffed but eyed the dot labelled Albus Dumbledore as it moved out of the staff room. It was past 11 and breakfast was long over, even on a Saturday, so Severus wondered why the old man wasn't haunting his tower, as he was so wont to do.

Haddy hummed as he watched the dot inquisitively. "Why do I get the feeling that isn't normal behaviour for him."

"That would be because it isn't. He has a tendency to haunt his tower unless he's up to something so I fear that he will be heading this way soon."

Haddy took a quick look at the spread and started diving the food up while keeping an eye on the dot. "I assume I should be ok hiding in your room but I'll take my cloak just in case."

Severus nodded, giving his fiance a quick kiss. "I'll try and get rid of him as quickly as possible but it'll probably be a good idea for you to leave once he does. I wouldn't put it past him to check on your whereabouts as well."

"Damn, and I was so hoping for a repeat performance," said Haddy, returning the kiss.

"Patience brat," Severus growled, "I don't trust my willpower to be tested like that again and, engagement or no, I would not want to face your father should we accidentally bond before we're married."

"Plus I guess the old man would have his proof we'd been breaking the rules," Haddy grouped.

"Precisely, and given the current climate your family is building against him I doubt you'd just get away with a slap on the wrist this time."

Haddy mumbled something that was suspiciously like 'spoil sport' as he carried a tray with half the breakfast things into Severus's bedroom, the potions master following behind with the rest of Haddy's things: he had to admit it helped being able to see the headmaster's progress and knowing they had plenty of time.

Haddy settled himself in front of the fire, spreading his mini feast out on the hearth rug and wrapped his invisibility cloak around his shoulders as Severus tucked his things behind the door so they wouldn't be seen.

"To make up for not really being able to share breakfast together, would you care to join me for a picnic tomorrow, for lunch, down by the lake?" Severus asked.

"Not later today?"

"Unfortunately not. I have homework to mark as I'm sure you have assignments to do, yourself. I wouldn't want either of us to be accused of neglecting schoolwork in favour of admittedly more enjoyable pursuits."

Haddy sighed. "I suppose you're right but I expect a thorough snogging session before I leave. I got to have something to ride me over."

"Was me buggering your brains out last night not enough?"

Haddy leaned over to give Severus a light kiss. "I will never be able to get enough of you, love."

"Thank god I'm with an insatiable brat then as I'll never get enough of you either."

"Worried you're not going to be able to keep up old man?"

Severus grinned devilishly. "Don't worry love, I'm sure my vampiric stamina will beat simple youth any day but I look forward to the day we can put it to the test."

Haddy moaned at the thought and they spent a few minutes exchanging light kisses, wanting to avoid any tell tale marks while ensuring they wouldn't accidentally get too carried away. It wasn't long before a knock at the door signalled it was time to stop and Severus made sure to cast a silencing charm as he left the room to ensure his lover could enjoy to ensure his lover could enjoy his breakfast in peace.

Severus answered his door with a bored look on his face; he would have made an educated guess as to who would be coming to bother him anyway but having confirmation from Haddy's map certainly helped.

"Good morning headmaster, what can I do for you?"

"Good morning Severus, although it is almost afternoon now. You missed breakfast so I thought I would take the opportunity to come and check to make sure you were alright."

"Two visits in as many days, Albus, I do feel special."

"Yes, well, your behaviour is slightly out of character in that you usually insist on taking meals in the great hall so I was very surprised not to see you."

"I usually try and maintain my schedule as I don't want the odd blip disturbing my routine but given the fact that I will also be patrolling tomorrow night and, although I have the first period free, will still have to teach the rest of the day, I figured it would be a good idea to make sure I got a good night's sleep now, thus why I am just now tucking into my breakfast."

Severus opened the door wider to allow Dumbledore to see inside his room but continued to stand in front of the door, blocking his entrance. Dumbledore, to his credit, thoroughly scanned the room from where he stood, craning his neck slightly to try and see through to Severus's bedroom. Severus had made sure to leave the door open at such an angle as to offer a full view of the empty bed but still conceal Haddy should his cloak slip.

"That is quite a lavish spread, Severus, I didn't realise you usually ate such things?"

"I don't normally but today I thought to treat myself, what with it being the weekend and me having something to celebrate." Severus tapped his ring against the picture frame as a reminder.

"Yes, well, I would have thought you would want to do that with your fiance?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes flicking back around the room, looking for any signs of movement.

"Unfortunately I woke up too late for that today so I have plans to take him out for a picnic tomorrow. Now if there's nothing else, headmaster, I would like to get back to my spread; the sooner I can finish the sooner I can get back to my marking and lesson plans as I will be busy all of Sunday night as well." Severus raised his eyebrow in accusation.

Dumbledore mumbled something about wasting time on picnics but Severus chose to ignore it and continued to raise his eyebrow in askance.

"Well, Severus, as I said last night I can look into the schedule if it is too grueling for you but at the moment I'm quite busy. It seems your future in-laws are plotting something and I am trying to figure out what. If I wasn't so focused on that then I may be able to look into something like the nightly patrol rota but unfortunately I must prioritize."

Severus recognized the fishing expedition for what it was. "Thankfully for you, headmaster, I spent some years having to worry about possibly popping off to meet the dark lord and having to deal with the after effects of that so I have become quite adept at managing my time: I find it a lot easier knowing I never have to rush off like that again."

"Are you so sure Voldemort will not be making any appearances in the future?"

"I trust my future husband when he tells me never get summoned to another death eater meeting. Now, if that is all, Albus, I'll bid you good day."

Not waiting for a reply, Severus shut the portrait in the old man's face and went to go and sit on the sofa. He contemplated going into his bedroom but thought it best to carry on as he said; the headmaster had an uncanny knack of knowing what was going on and Severus sometimes wondered if he had some sort of device that allowed him to see through walls. His time as a spy had taught him to always hedge his bets, better to be safe than sorry.

He needn't have worried as he'd barely bitten into his first pastry before Haddy was walking back in, carrying an empty cup and half a plate of food, and settling in next to Severus on the sofa.

"I assume you checked to make sure the old coot wasn't waiting outside the door just in case."

"Of course. He set back off, I'm assuming to his tower, as soon as you shut the door in his face. He's a bastard by the way, thinking you'd rat me out just to get slightly better shifts," Haddy said, refilling his cup from the pot.

"Yes, well, he's worried about what your father has up his sleeve but that doesn't mean he should be underestimated."

"I know, I know, cornered animals and all," Haddy said, snuggling into Severus's side, "don't worry I'll be careful."

Severus wrapped his arm around his mate and dropped a kiss to his head. "So long as you're aware, love."

"So long as he doesn't interrupt our date tomorrow," Haddy grumbled, causing Severus to chuckle.

"Don't worry, Hadrian, so long as you're there I'll enjoy myself."

"Yes, but I'll be a bit disappointed if I can't spend at least some time snogging your face off."


	78. Chapter 78

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus is in deep trouble and there's a surprise for Severus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally another chapter! Sorry for the long wait, it took me ages to figure out the reason for the block and then my muse downed tools as she apparently hates finishing fics.
> 
> I've not edited it so I apologise for any mistakes I was just so happy to finally have another chapter that I couldn't wait to post it. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

It wasn't very often that Lucius Malfoy was visibly anxious, he was a pureblood who prided himself on projecting a cool, calm and completely unflappable demeanour however when the fate of months if not years if work hung in the balance, not to mention one of your sons futures, his facade, unsurprisingly, started to crack. He was currently waiting outside the Wizengamot waiting for the trial of one Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore on charges of embezzlement and theft and he was hoping this would spark the beginning of the end of the old coot. He'd been working behind the scenes with the goblins trying to trace the funds the man had funneled, not just from his son and the school, but a number of other accounts.

They had found that he had also suppressed the reading of wills of some wizards who had died in the last war, on both sides, people who had left no obvious heir, and pocketed the money himself. Lucius was hoping this would be the real linchpin of the operation, at least as far as the council was concerned, as that was money that would have ministry. The main thing he had going against him was the near vitriolic prejudice that the Wizengamot held for goblins, thus the reason he was presenting the case and not sitting on the council. Thankfully his and Haddy's proxies had been well instructed so at least he knew he had that block of votes in the bag.

At least they had surprise on their side. Lucius had worked very hard to keep their investigation under wraps, or at least the extent of it, which was why Lucius had convened this special early meeting, hoping to leave little chance for Dumbledore to mount a defence. That was confirmed when Lucius caught sight of the scowl on Dumbledore's face as he approached the courtroom. The more perturbed he looked the less prepared he was and the greater Lucius's chances of success.

"Lucius," Dumbledore said, coming over once he saw him, "I don't know what you think you're playing at but I can assure you it won't work."

Linux, who had accompanied Lucius to give evidence, flashed a toothy grin at the headmaster and Lucius smirked. "I'm not playing at anything, Albus, I assure you we are quite serious and I firmly believe the rest of the Wizengamot will agree."

"Ha, I'm sure your friends may agree with you that I may have slightly overstepped with regards to my management of Harry's accounts but I'm sure my friends on the council will see your antics for what they are: a desperate ploy to sully my name. I've seen your family's efforts in the papers and quite frankly I find it laughable."

"We shall see," Lucius replied. If anything Dumbledore's posturing reassured him: if Dumbledore thought Haddy's accounts were the only misdeeds Lucius had found then the man was in for a massive shock. He had gotten sloppy and more obvious in his later years but he had been embezzling funds from the school for decades and wouldn't that be a shock for the governors found out.

When Albus Dumbledore had received an owl and suddenly left during breakfast Severus had been surprised. When he had yet to return at lunch Severus had been curious. When the entire board of governors had arrived and convened an emergency meeting, holding themselves up in their meeting room, Severus had become worried. That worry had only gotten worse when Minerva had been called in only to come out 30 minutes later practically in tears. Now it was Severus's turn to be summoned and he was near panicked right up until the point where he saw Lucius looking extremely smug.

"Professor Snape, are you aware of the investigation Mr Malfoy was undertaking against Albus Dumbledore?" one of the governors asked, Severus thought he was related to Lavender Brown but he couldn't be sure.

"I was aware of it as far as it pertained to my fiancé's accounts but I was unaware of its scope or that it was anywhere near its conclusion."

"So you are unaware that Mr Malfoy filed suit this morning nor its conclusion?" possible Brown continued and Severus shook his head, "then you should know that Mr Malfoy discovered that Albus Dumbledore has been embezzling school funds for some time for his own personal gain and, as such, has been removed from his position as Headmaster of Hogwarts. It has also been found that he has stolen from a number of people, your fiance included, and is currently inhabiting Azkaban awaiting an appeal. As such we would like to offer you the position of Headmaster."

Severus was pretty sure his eyes were bulging in an extremely undignified manor but he was beyond caring. He couldn't believe Lucius had managed to pull it off: disbelief was warring with joy. It was an honour to be sure although he wasn't sure if it would make seeing Hadrian easier or harder. Sure he would have more power "but with great power comes great responsibility", or at least he was sure that was what Lily used to say, apparently it was a quote from a comic, not that it mattered as the fact remained he would be under a lot of scrutiny thanks to his past as a death eater and Dumbledore's antics. It would honestly be a bit of a relief once he and Hadrian were married as at least they wouldn't have to sneak around any more. 

"Obviously this news is going to cause quite the stir which is why we wanted to get this appointment sorted quickly, before the news hit the stands and chaos ensues. You do wish to accept this position, right Professor Snape?" 

Lucius was staring at him pointedly and a quick look around the rest of the room showed they were all waiting for an answer. Severus nodded his head, the idea that he wouldn't accept was laughable. Yes it would be hard work but he had a great many plans to change things in the school, his own vision of what Hogwarts could be. It would take time, however. Brown was right, there would be chaos after people learned of Albus's dealings, so he would have to take things steady at first, try to keep an even keel and all that. He could see a busy summer stretching out before him and he was sure he'd be very tired, especially with a new husband to keep satisfied. He heard someone clear their throat and looked up.

"We need verbal confirmation for the contract," Lucius prompted, pushing a piece of parchment in front of him. 

"May I ask why I was chosen?" Severus asked as he perused the document, making sure there weren't any annoying terms or loopholes in it. He was fairly confident Lucius would have already checked it and made sure it would be acceptable, if only because Hadrian would pitch a fit if it wasn't.

"Professor McGonagall would have been first pick as deputy headmistress but while she was not complicit in Dumbledore's crimes, at least not as far as my investigation has uncovered, she was close enough to the previous headmaster to see that things were amiss but didn't act on them. As such it was deemed she was unfit for such an office. As too the other Professors, while a number of them have been here for longer than you, none of them can command the respect and authority you can, quantities the governors feel are required in these difficult times Hogwarts will be facing," Lucius explained.

"Then of course I accept this honor," Severus stated out loud and watched as his name was filled in on the contract, a sign that the magic of the school had accepted him. Lucius beamed as Severus sagged in his chair, the literal weight of responsibility in the form of the castle's wards falling heavy on his shoulders. "Is there anything else that you wish to inform me of while I'm here."

"Yes," said Brown, "while the position of deputy is usually chosen by the new head we, the governors, strongly suggest keeping Professor McGonagall in her current position, at least until the end of the school year, to try and minimise disruptions." Severus, again, nodded in agreement. For all his reservations about her, Minerva had been serving in her current position for many years now so she should be aware of what needed to be done and should be able to help Severus get the hang of his new position. "There is also the matter of your replacement, since you obviously won't have time to teach, what with learning the ropes and all that," Brown continued. "What with it being so lage in the year, and the notorious difficulty we've had filling the position previously, it's felt that Remus Lupin would be best to take over, since he had taught previously so should already know the syllabus and most of the students."

Severus felt his hackles rise as he saw Lucius frown but knew that he was not yet in a position to oppose. Their argument was unfortunately sound and even he had to see it had merit; the problem was that he could see the chess pieces being moved, Albus manipulating things from afar, making sure his allies were still in positions of power. At least the old man probably thought they were still allies, Severus knew Lupin's aligences had already shifted to Hadrian and he had to wonder about Minerva when the full scope of Albus's crimes became public knowledge.

"We should make an announcement before it hits the papers, minimise the rumours and panic," Lucius announced, standing up from the table, "we should call an emergency assembly."

The group looked to Severus who was momentarily confused until something clicked in his head and he gained the knowledge of how to send out a school wide announcement, promptly calling for all students and staff to convene in the great hall.

Lucius pulled him to one side as the rest of the governors were filing out. "Congratulations old friend, I see great things in your future. I'm sure Hadrian will be happy."

"Yes, although I can't see me being able to completely retract that bloody rule without being called out for abuse of power."

"Too true, unfortunately there is still a large amount of racism around, you should have seen the looks on some faces when I walked into the Wizengamot with the goblins, though I assume that just means you'll have to bring forward the wedding; no one will be able to complain then."

"Of course, we were thinking about a June wedding anyway."

"Good,good, though if you did decide to bring the date forward I'm sure Narcissa could organise something as early as next weekend."

"Not this weekend?" Severus asked sarcastically.

"God no! She's good, not a bloody miracle worker." Severus smirked, he had no doubts about Narcissa's party planning prowess and he doubted Lucius did either, but he wanted to at least get his feet under the table in his new position before taking on something as life changing as marriage, although if said nrw position made it more difficult for him to spend any private time with Hadrian then that might change. Severus found the boy damn near addictive and couldn't fathom not being able to spend time with him. Any time he spent with Hadrian was good but pushing his way into the boys tight hole was heaven: it had only been a couple of days and Severus was already trying to figure out when they could be together again, he dreaded to think what it would be like when they actually bonded. Unfortunately Lucius was currently dragging him down to the great hall so those plans would have to be temporarily put on hold as for some reason the man seemed to be in a big hurry. Severus dreaded to think what he had planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work hasn't been abandoned, I'm still thinking about it I just don't know when I'll next get another flash of inspiration. Hopefully you won't have to wait months again.
> 
> Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and thank you again for all the wonderful comments. Now I've posted again I feel like I can finally justify replying.


	79. Chapter 79

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The school reacts to the news if Severus's appointment.

Haddy wasn't the only one who was confused as he made his way, along with the rest of the staff and students, to the great hall: the look of shock on Professor Flitwick's face had been evident as he ushered the class out. He'd looked to Hermione and Draco as they'd left their advanced charms class but they too seemed none the wiser. There was no chance to even speculate as they joined the crowds of people on the grand staircase and were nearly deafened by the rukus caused by hundreds of people all talking at the same time.

People's confusion only grew as they saw a group of mostly strangers standing next to the staff table although their identity was quickly confirmed to be the school governors. It didn't help that the headmaster's seat was notably vacant.

Haddy had managed to catch his father's eye who gave him a pointed look and a nod towards the Gryffindor table. Message received: now is clearly not the time for political statements. Waving goodbye to Draco, Haddy and Hermione made their way to their usual spot, accompanied by so mumbled grumblings from Ron about wannabe snakes slithering back.

Haddy was prevented from replying as the last of the students filed in and his father took the lectern calling for silence.

"Staff and students of Hogwarts it is with great sadness that I must inform you that Albus Dumbledore was arrested this morning on crimes of theft and embezzlement."

The noise in the hall suddenly rose again although Haddy was personally struck dumb. He couldn't believe his father had managed to pull it off. He knew his face must have been a picture of pure shock although that was probably a good thing as otherwise he'd be grinning like a loon and he didn't want to piss Ron off anymore. He'd already heard the redhead expounding that "the poncy git isn't sad at all" and knew that he was a powder keg waiting to explode. Not that he disagreed with Ron, Haddy knew full well that his father was ecstatic about Dumbledore's arrest but he had to say that he was sad because of the optics of the situation; one of the things that had stuck from his pureblood lessons.

"I won't go into details of the trial," Lucius continued, casting sonorous to be heard over the din, "this is neither the time or the place for those discussions, suffice it to say he was tried before the Wizengamot and found guilty and has subsequently been removed from his position as headmaster of Hogwarts. The governors held an emergency meeting and have decided to appoint Professor Snape as the new headmaster."

There was a moment of complete silence followed by a colossal roar as moans and cheers, mostly from the slytherin contingent, echoed around the hall.

"It's a fucking set up!" Ron yelled, jumping up on the table. "The death eaters have planned this all along, Voldemort is going to come back and they'll have already taken over Hogwarts, bet they've already taken the ministry. It's an absolute farce."

Everyone was looking at him when the ceiling was suddenly filled with hoots and the sound of flapping wings as dozens of owls descended, dropping copies of an emergency edition of the Prophet in everyone's laps. 

Albus in Azkaban!

The formerly venerated wizard today faced charges and was found guilty on several accounts of theft and embezzlement (full trial transcripts pages 3-5). As shocking as this information will be for some this reporter and this paper has known for some time that the now former headmaster of Hogwarts has been up to no good and now we have proof thanks to the dedicated work of Lucius Malfoy.

Since learning that Dumbledore had been siphoning funds from the accounts of his son, Hadrian Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy and the goblins of Gringotts bank have been working tirelessly to trace the money and uncover the extent of his misdeeds. What they found has been described by many as the theft of a century, describing the length of the crime as well as the extent.

The number of people affected is far too great to report in this one poor issue but I would like to mention a few that I found interesting and, dare say it, shocking for it seems that no one was spared Albus Dumbledore's greed, even his most ardent supporters. 

Fabian and Gideon Prewett are well known heroes who fell to the forces He-who-must-not-be-named and were widely celebrated. They were ardent supporters of the light and apparently pledged all their family's wealth to the cause, transferring investments and even mortgaging properties which, according to some circles, left their sister, Molly Weasley née Prewett, in dire financial straits. The problem is their will is gone; upon their death the leader of the light feared at the time that it might contain sensitive information and encouraged the Weasleys to let him hear it privately and he would pass on the information to them.

Now, however, a quick search reveals all copies of the will have vanished, the goblin in charge of the Prewett accounts has conveniently died in a dragon related incident and a trace on the Prewett funds sees it funnelled into a muggle bank account in the Cayman Islands in the name of Albus Dumbledore. We contacted Mrs Weasley to find out how she felt about hearing these accusations but she declined to comment.

Dumbledore also claimed to have inherited 5000 galleons from Elphinstone Urquart, formerly of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and late husband of Professor Minerva McGonagall. Dumbledore received this sum upon the sale of a cottage the couple had owned although the will has also mysteriously gone missing.

We contacted Professor McGonagall to try and verify this statement. At first she claimed it must be an accounting error as she'd been at the reading although when she tried to recall the incident her memory became fuzzy. At this point she became quite abrupt with us and suddenly ended the interview. It was a very curious reaction and we are not sure what shenanigans the former headmaster has been upto over the years but rest assured dear readers that we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to discover the full extent of Albus Dumbledore's crimes. 

For some time the only sound that could be heard in the hall was that of rustling paper as students and teachers alike desperately devoured the article. The only person who wasn't even looking at a copy of the Prophet was his father and Haddy assumed that was because he had already proofed the article, likely having completely timed the whole thing: Lucius Malfoy did have a flair for the dramatic after all.

Many people turned to look at Ron Weasley, still standing on the table and looking a little green, as they finished the bit about his uncles.

"Lies! It's all lies. Everyone knows the Prophet is rubbish," he shouted but the volume of his voice did little to cover the lack of conviction in his voice. The boy was clearly shaken by the news.

"I assure you Mr Weasley, that there are detailed and verifiable trails which can track the movement of funds, not just from your family but from many others, into accounts belonging to Albus Dumbledore," Lucius intoned, still standing at the lectern, "while we do not know the motive we are aware of the crimes and it is for those that he has been imprisoned and stripped of his position at this school. Now we, the governors, know this will be a difficult time for all, especially so close to exams, which is why we want to cause as little disruption as possible. As the article states, Professor McGonagall has her own worries in this affair which is why she has not been given the headship but us retaining her position as deputy. I am sure between herself and Professor Snape they will be able to keep things running smoothly at the school. Thank you for your time."

Haddy watched as his fiancé stood up for the first time as the new headmaster and a little thrill shot through him.

"Given the shocking news we have all received I believe it best that lessons are cancelled for the rest of the day. I suggest we all use the time as a period of reflection. You are dismissed."

Haddy had to grin as the announcement was met with applause and he had a feeling that his future husband had just done a very good job of cementing himself as the new headmaster in the eyes of most of the student population.


	80. Chapter 80

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pervy portraits alert.

"Good idea cancelling lessons," Haddy said as he entered the headmasters office, taking a look around at the changes Severus was already making, "although many may worry you're going soft."

Severus scoffed, "hardly. I was mostly thinking of my colleagues who will be reeling from the information themselves and, thus, be in no fit state to try and corral children who will be even more unruly than usual. It was the logical thing to do."

"Still it got Gryffindors singing your praises, and not just the ones that liked you because of me."

"Be that as it may, Hadrian, is there any particular reason you've come to disturb me when I'm clearly busy. I'd have thought you would have wanted to spend some time with your father while he's here."

"We did but he got called into the ministry. Apparently the aurors are starting an investigation into Dumbledore and need father to make a statement about his findings, as well as talk them through the evidence as apparently none of them have a head for finances."

"I am aware of the investigation which is why I'm currently removing all of the artifacts the old coot left about the place. Unfortunately the DMLE are going to have to check all their employees for confounding and compulsion spells before they can collect any evidence which means these things will be hanging around for a while."

"You're just going to leave them out?"

"Gods no! Who knows what these things actually do. I'm sealing them away in magically voided boxes but I have to check each one thoroughly for curses before I can touch it which is taking forever since there's so bloody many of them."

"I can help, it's not like I've got lessons to go to or anything. I may not know anywhere near as many spells as you but I can at least check for low level stuff, save you a bit of time."

"Thank you Hadrian, that will be most appreciated."

They worked together for a few hours, quietly reciting spell after spell. It was mind numbing work and Haddy could well understand Severus's frustration; they'd barely made a dent in the number of objects littering the office, especially given the length of time they'd been working.

"This is boring," a voice suddenly piped up from nowhere, "I felt for sure you two would be going at it like bunnies with the way Dumbledore used to talk about you."

Haddy and Severus suddenly looked up to the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black who had started talking.

"I always knew he must be exaggerating," responded the portrait of Armando Dippet, "Severus was always very proper when he attended Hogwarts, I can hardly see him breaking the rules in such a flagrant manner."

"Such a shame," continued Phineas, "his mate is such a fine boy, I was quite looking forward to seeing young Severus take that delectable arse over the desk."

Severus spluttered. "You can rest assured gentlemen that will never happen!" 

"You'll never take me over the desk?" Haddy asked, suddenly very disappointed. As soon as he'd learned of Severus's promotion he'd started having fantasies about what they could get up to up here.

"Of course I bloody will," Severus replied, "I see it as one of the perks of the job." Haddy grinned. "However those perverts will not be watching. Ever."

"Spoil sport," grouced Phineas, "I was quite looking forward to watching a proper show. There's only so much awkward fumbling a man can take and teenagers have a severe lack of imagination."

"The portraits perve on us!" Haddy exclaimed.

"Of course they do," Severus huffed, "why do you think there are so few in the dungeons and none in my offices or the Slytherin dorms."

"I thought that was just so that Dumbledore could use them to get information?" Haddy said. 

"That has definitely been a bonus in recent years but there have never been portraits in Slytherin territory since you never know who can look in," Phineas explained.

"Cynical snakes," muttered Dippet

"Maybe but we were right weren't we." Phineas was looking immensely smug.

"I have a sudden urge to remove all the portraits from Gryffindor tower," Haddy mused.

"Don't worry, I plan on rearranging them all," Severus said reassuringly, "unfortunately there are more pressing matters to attend to."

"Yes, a lot of those things are for monitoring," Dippet said, gesturing to the metal devices covering what was now Severus's desk, "and not all of them are magical. Dumbledore was very cautious that way, looking for ways to cover his tracks."

"Papa says that's why he moved so much money into muggle accounts; the purebloods wouldn't know how to trace it and the Muggleborns wouldn't want to as he was seen as their hero," Haddy explained. "Unfortunately for him I've got a very good Muggleborn friend who was able to see through his lies and is more than capable of working out the ins and outs of any financial world."

"Yes, Miss Granger has definitely been the proverbial straw that broke Dumbledore's back," pondered Phineas, "although I think that even the best seerer would have struggled to predict the emergence of a smart Muggleborn who would end up sympathising with the Malfoys, especially given their early interactions." 

"Yes, well, that was why the man was in Gryffindor and not Slytherin," Severus announced, "I would assume nothing." Haddy figured he was referring to some of the rumours that were already going around that Severus might be secretly working for Dumbledore or that he was the mastermind all along and Dumbledore is just an innocent pawn. Haddy hoped that one wouldn't gain traction as Dumbledore may be able to mount a plausible defence that way although his father assured him Dumbledore would have a hard time convincing the wizarding world that Severus could overpower him like that, given how much of Dumbledore's reputation revolved around him being one of the strongest wizards since Merlin himself.

Severus was right though, they shouldn't leave anything to chance, especially where Albus Dumbledore was concerned: the man would not be sitting quietly in Azkaban, bemoaning his downfall, but doing everything he could to get out. He wouldn't care about risking his reputation if he got desperate enough and Haddy made a silent vow to keep an ear out for any rumours they heard, and to get his trusted friends to do the same; forewarned is forearmed after all.

Severus sighed. "I suppose this is an appropriate time to take a break. Would you care to join me, Haddy."

"I ate dinner in the hall with papa before coming up, I'm not particularly hungry."

"I don't believe I mentioned anything about food Hadrian, you really need to stop assuming things."

Haddy's head whipped up; he really hoped he hadn't mistaken the suggestive tone in Severus's voice.

"Your right, sir, how very remiss of me, I do believe I'm in need of further tutoring. May I request a private lesson." Severus simply smirked and indicated the door to his rooms.

"I thought you hadn't bonded with him!" exclaimed Dippet.

"I haven't," Severus replied smugly, "but Phineas was right; his arse is delectable, why should I deny myself if I don't have to."

"Ha! I knew it, Dippet you owe me a blowjob!"

Haddy shuddered and tried to block that from his mind. The thought of the two former headmasters having sex, even in picture form was enough to ruin the mood in seconds. He thought instead of Severus taking him over the desk as he'd previously suggested, hard and fast like Haddy enjoyed. He wondered how the hard wood would feel digging into him as Severus thrust from behind and soon found his body responding again which was good, he would want Severus to think Haddy didn't want this.

Apparently he wasn't the only one. Severus had come into his private lounge behind Haddy and made his way to a chair, partially undoing his robes. He was now reclining in it, the picture of casual arrogance with his hard cock jutting from between his spread legs. Haddy felt a shiver of desire shoot down his spine.

"I think the portraits had the right idea," Severus drawled, "a blowjob sounds perfect. Now strip and crawl over here on your hands and knees, I think it's time for you to worship my cock."

Haddy gulped, that sounded like an excellent idea, and he stripped down as quick as a flash. He dropped to the floor and made a point of crawling slowly, letting his eyes roam over his love before zeroing in on the man's glorious member as he lowered his head, nuzzling his cheek along its length.

"That's it pet," Severus said with a sigh, one of his hands coming up to rest on Harry's head, "show me how much you adore my cock."

"So much sir," Haddy said, planted a sucking kiss at the base, "I always want your cock."

"Yes, such a little slut, my little slut, you always want my cock don't you." His tirade of dirty was cut short as Haddy licked up the underside causing the man to gasp.

Speech seemed to be beyond Severus as Haddy proceeded to do as the man asked and thoroughly worship his dick, licking, kissing and sucking all along it until Severus was quivering with need, one hand grasping Haddy's hair while the other gripped the arm of the chair. Sensing the man was nearing his limit, Haddy took pity on him and swallowed his length down in one go.

Severus cried out in pleasure as he tensed himself to stop from thrusting up into Haddy's mouth.

"Merlin pet, I love your mouth, it feels so good, so hot and wet, and you love having your mouth on my cock as well. I bet you want me to fuck your pretty mouth don't you?" Haddy moaned, bringing a hand up to the base to let Severus know he was ready.

Severus tightened his grip in Haddy's hair and began a grueling pace, hitting the back of Haddy's throat with each thrust, making his eyes water as he swallowed past his gag reflex. It wasn't long before Severus was shooting his load right down Haddy's mouth as he quickly drank it all down, gently licking it as Severus came down off his high.

"You didn't touch yourself?" Haddy shook his head, "Good boy, now stand up."

Haddy complied, his own cock leaking copiously. Severus brought his hands up and slowly started stroking Haddy's length. Haddy had to lock his legs to keep from falling: ir felt glorious to have Severus's hands on him and it was an embarrassingly short time before he was cuming himself, Severus catching his ejaculate in his hands before offering it to Haddy.

"Drink up my little slut, I know how much you love the taste of cum." Haddy greedily lapped it up and Severus smiled. "And you said you weren't hungry. Silly boy, you should know sluts like you are always hungry for cum." Haddy could only hum in agreement: it would be pointless to do otherwise, they both knew Haddy would suck Severus's cock any time the man asked. "Don't worry pet, there will be plenty more when I truly make you mine."

Haddy looked up and smiled. It was true, they would soon have forever and he couldn't wait.


	81. Chapter 81

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations with portraits can be very revealing.

The next day found Severus sat at his desk having finally packed away all the artifacts some time after lunch. It had been strange for him, after 15 years of teaching, not to make his way to a classroom after meals, though he definitely wouldn't miss teaching the dunderheads. It was a relief to know he would no longer have to try and cram knowledge into unwilling minds although his current task of going over the schools accounts was about as interesting as reading a first year Muggleborns essay and probably contained about as much information.

The accounts were truly depressing. Dumbledore had set it up so literally every knut that came into the school from fees, donations and bequeaths, went straight into his own accounts only to replace just enough to cover essential outgoings when the money was required; something he likely only did to prevent anyone from prying. Technically the school was stone broke. With some luck they would be able to retrieve the funds but if Lucius was right, and the money was in muggle bank accounts, getting it back would take some time and he couldn't be sure it wouldn't disappear before then. Maybe he could talk to the goblins about getting a loan, at least to tide them over until the next lot of fees came in. There was a long list of repairs to be made around the castle as well as the library to update not to mention an endless amount of requests that had clearly been building up for years. It would take a long time for him to square everything up and Severus was wondering if he even had the energy to do it all. Severus sat back with a sigh and rubbed his eyes; he'd hoped getting rid of the old coot would relieve his stress, not add to it.

"You need to bring your young man back," Phineas said, "he would go some way to relieve your stress, especially if your mood yesterday was anything to go by."

"I'm sure he would, not that it's any of your business." 

"Damn shame that. You know Dumbledore wasn't half so stingy with his play things."

"Hadrian is my mate not my plaything," Severus growled, being sure to flash a bit of fang to get the point across, "and if you think comparing me to the old coot will get you anywhere then you're sorely mistaken."

"My apologies dear headmaster, I meant no offence merely passing comment, though I thought you had said you'd slept with young Hadrian."

"It's none of your business Black, especially given the previous headmasters rules regarding students and sexual intercourse which are still in place."

"Oh don't worry about that, the portraits are tied to Hogwarts which in turn is tied to the headmaster. You wield a lot more power than you realise Severus starting with the fact that we portraits are completely under your control: we can do nothing that would bring you harm. As to your interactions with the young man I was only curious as you clearly haven't bonded yet and I was sure I remembered vampires bond when they mate. As for the rule it was highly hypocritical of Dumbledore so I wouldn't care to enforce it even if I could."

"Not that my relationship with Hadrian is any of your business but l am in possession of a measure of self control and, as such, have been able to engage in acts with him without giving in to my creature urges; a feat that would only serve to give away what we'd done." Every time they were together it was a fight for Severus to not complete the bond and he couldn't wait for the day he could make Hadrian truly his and finally taste his sweet blood. He was curious about one thing Phineas had said though, "what do you mean it was hypocritical of Dumbledore?"

"Oh he had a thing going with a student for some time although that was about 20 years or so ago now. Haven't seen him with anyone for over a decade but the two of them used to get up to some right kinky stuff. It was highly entertaining."

Severus couldn't help but shudder, the idea of anyone with the former headmaster near sickened him although 20 years ago was around his time at school so he was curious, "do you know who Dumbledore's partner was?"

"Yes, it was James Potter, that upstart that used to run around with that borish relation of mine."

"What! I had a notion that Dumbledore had a thing for him but I didn't think he'd ever acted on it. Potter fancied Lily, I can't imagine him wanting to do anything willingly."

"Oh, he certainly wasn't overly willing the first time Dumbledore took him but he soon changed his tune and happily returned after that."

"What do you mean?"

"There had been an incident, something involving a werewolf, another boy had nearly died. Anyway Potter said he'd take the punishment for all involved and Dumbledore threatened them all with expulsion if Potter didn't let him have his way with him."

"He raped him!"

"I guess you could say that at first although Potter seemed to begin to enjoy it and was more than enthusiastic when he returned so it can't have been too bad for the boy."

Severus was thoroughly confused. "But Potter was with Lily, surely he wouldn't cheat on her like that?"

"Who? Oh that cheap little mudblood tart."

"Don't call Lily a tart," Severus interjected, "she was my friend."

"She was using you just like she was my great-great-nephew, Sirius. She was a money grabbing cow who was only interested in making a name for herself in society. She dropped you not because of your name calling but because she realised you had no claim on the Prince family fortune."

"But she loved James?"

"That was just a cover, she worked it all out with Dumbledore. She would make herself scarce whenever Dumbledore wanted time with James and everyone would assume they were together allowing the boy to spend as much time here as he wanted. After school she would marry the boy gaining his prestige and fortune and be able to do what she wanted provided she didn't say anything about James carrying on with Dumbledore."

"I always thought they had a great marriage." 

"I'm sure in some ways it was. The only thing I can remember Potter complaining about is the issue of an heir. Apparently the chit wasn't interested in having children, something ridiculous about ruining her figure, whereas Potter needed an heir. I assume she relented eventually but I believe she took a lot of persuading."

Severus's head was spinning from all this information. So much that he had previously believed was a lie; he wondered if this was close to how Haddy had felt when he learned the truth of his birth.

"I always thought Lily wanted children and loved Harry. Dumbledore said she even sacrificed herself to save his life when the dark lord attacked."

"I can't tell you anything about that, I wasn't there. All I know is what I've overheard over the years but, personally, I would doubt anything that bastard has ever said to you."

Severus was thoughtful. "Why are you telling me this now?" Severus asked, "I thought you couldn't do anything against the headmaster?"

"Only the current headmaster is protected which is why they're usually lifetime appointments. Once the mantle passes so does the protection. As for why now, I was thinking of your young man and I remembered some of the things Dumbledore used to do and it reminded me."

Severus refused to dwell on what Black said, telling himself that it was only a portrait and couldn't touch Hadrian. It was a stark reminder, though, not to do anything with Hadrian where the portraits could see: he wouldn't share even the sight of his mate with anyone and especially not these perverted arse holes. It did give him an idea though. "Was there anything else you can tell me about Dumbledore's misdeeds."

"Unfortunately not, the man was very careful to keep talk about anything of that nature out of this office."

Severus nodded, it was a long shot but it had been worth a try. At least he had a lead now, outside of the financial sphere: those crimes were often seen as minor and only carried a light sentence, even for something on this scale. If he wanted Dumbledore away for any decent length of time he would have to uncover some of the man's more sinister crimes and he knew just where to start. More thankful than ever for Hadrian's familial relationship to Black, Severus began to form a plan that would hopefully rid him of Albus Dumbledore for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I just want to say that I don't agree with Phineas's thoughts on ehat happened to James, rape is rape whether a person 'enjoys' it or not. Unfortunately people haven't always thought that way and I can't imagine that a person of his generation would be particularly woke.
> 
> I apologise that it's another short chapter. It got harder to write as I got closer to the trial but I am still whittling away at this fic, just waiting for my next flash of inspiration.


	82. Chapter 82

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the spring break on the horizon, and the long awaited trial for Albus Dumbledore looming, our favourite couple make some plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Severus has taken on the role of Headmaster of Hogwarts and has learned just how much Dumbledore abused his position.

Things at Hogwarts proceeded with little change despite the sudden changes to staff. Remus had happily and almost seamlessly taken over Severus's lessons and Minerva had been surprisingly helpful with the day to day running of the castle especially once she became aware of Hogwarts financial problems. An article about it had graced the front pages of the Prophet after Severus had been spotted going into Gringotts for a meeting to discuss loan options. The goblins had been surprisingly generous, instantly covering the school's requirements and saying they would take it out of anything they could get back from Dumbledore, since it was their fault that the school was in this position in the first place.

The upside of the article, other than further damaging Dumbledore's reputation, was that the school suddenly received a new influx of donations, to a new secure account, so money matters were no longer an immediate issue though Severus had noticed that repairs and maintenance were far behind where they should be and could see summer being extremely busy for him. At least he was getting a lot of support from the public who now seemed more than willing to ignore his checkered past, especially in light of him having donated some of his own money to the school. The fact that a good portion of those funds came from the sale of the basilisk parts he'd harvested with Haddy was besides the point. It probably also helped that Horace had kicked up a huge fuss about some of the 'schools' stock having gone missing. Severus had spoken with Haddy and the governors and they'd decided to flood the market a bit, reducing the value of the parts in hopes that Dumbledore would hold back selling and they would be able to retrieve them at a later date.

So it was that the weeks passed and the spring break was upon them. Lucius had already informed him that further criminal charges were being pressed against Dumbledore including child endangerment and use of the unforgive-ables. The trial was already set for the last week of April and Haddy and Draco had been busy messaging their father in preparation, making the most of the fact that they were now free to do so.

Personally, Severus was looking forward to spending some alone time with his fiancé. He'd managed to do further renovations on his property, especially now the grounds were up and running, with help from the fae, and the place was essentially liveable. He knew that Haddy would need to be at Malfoy Manor a fair bit in the lead up to the trial since he was a principal witness, but Severus hoped they would be able to get to spend a couple of nights, or at the very least, afternoons together. Unfortunately he hadn't been able to properly arrange anything since he'd been as busy as his mate, getting to grips with his new position and figuring out what actually needed to get done: a long list that seemed to be growing exponentially.

It was the night before the train was due to depart and Severus was diligently checking over the list of wards that would have to be refreshed over the summer when the door to his office opened and Hadrian walked in.

"Hello stranger, how did I know you'd still be up working at this time?"

Severus smiled. "Probably because you know I take my duties very seriously. I'd hardly say I'm a stranger though Hadrian since you saw me only a few hours ago."

"In the great hall, surrounded by other people, with half the room between us. I hardly think that counts Severus. I've missed you so much these last weeks especially as I don't even get to see you in lessons anymore."

"I know love, I've missed you too, unfortunately we both have important things going on that have kept us busy."

"Are you going to be busy over the holidays?"

"Probably not as busy as you with all the trial prep you'll have going on. I've seen the packet your father's law wizard sent me and I'm only getting called in to give evidence on the state of the school. I hate to imagine what yours is like."

Haddy groaned as his shoulders slumped forward. "That's the problem; there's so much, so many questions we're rehearsing, it's stressing me out so much."

Severus got up and went over to his maye, enveloping him in a warm hug. "It's alright love, I know it's hard and if it's really too much you know you don't have to testify. There is more than enough evidence in other sectors to convict him."

Haddy sighed. "I know, papa and Draco said the same but I know it will add weight if the-boy-who-lived testifies."

"You know he's going to try and smear you don't you?" 

"I know. Mr Gladstone, the law wizard, said it's a good thing we haven't bonded since they can't say I'm being compelled. Now it'll just be that I feel forced because it's my family. Unfortunately there's no way around that I'm just glad that I'll be one of the first to give evidence so I won't have to wait around too much."

"Me too, though I'm surprised at you, I'd have thought your testimony would amount to the killing blow and you'd be later on."

"Ah but you forget about Yaxley. He's going to testify in exchange for protection, for some reason he'd rather face Azkaban than death. The upside is it means that Tom, Peter and the Lestranges can testify as well."

"That will be shocking for a lot of people and Corban will be an excellent reason for why they haven't previously come forward, especially after what happened to Barty Crouch Jr."

Haddy shuddered, "precisely. At least after Yaxleys testimony the aurors will have to watch themselves as there are already investigations planned into their conduct."

"Good, I'd hate for Lysander to lose his family now he's just found it. The boy's really come into his own this year."

"I know. Him and Blaise are going to be spending the whole time with them at Grimmauld Place which will be nice."

"And what about you, Hadrian? I assume you'll spend most of your time at the manor."

"Well that's what I'd come to talk to you about. See I had hoped to be able to whisk you off to France for a week but those plans got put on hold when I learned about the trial so I was wondering if I could just stay here with you."

"Won't you need to be at the manor to help prep?"

"That's the reason I've been so busy, trying to get everything out of the way so I could try and relax a bit beforehand so I won't be a bundle of nerves."

"Maybe but I can't imagine your father would be too happy with the thought of you spending all that time at mine."

"He wasn't overly but I suggested it was a trial run, to make sure we wouldn't bite each other's heads off when we're married. Mama thought it was an excellent idea and pointed out I'd still be home a lot because of the trial and papa relented."

"I don't know whether to be proud or annoyed that you spoke to them before me."

"Well I figured Papa would be the hardest sell and there was no point in me getting my hopes up if he was just going to veto any plans. Plus you've already agreed to marry me so I figured it was a pretty safe bet you'd agree to this."

Severus could only smile indulgently at his mate: the boy had him there. The only problem he could foresee was keeping a rein on his instincts and not completing the bond before they were married. Not that it would be too much of a problem, especially with him as headmaster and Lucius on the board of governors, but he was a bit of a traditionalist plus he already had plans for their wedding night and he would hate to spoil things by becoming complaisent. "Your right, love, although I was planning on spending the holidays at my estate, doing some more work on the place, and was already planning on asking you to come round to give your input."

Haddy beamed. "I love that you're consulting me on these things despite it being your property."

"It's our property Hadrian, legally so once we're married, of course I want your input."

If anything Haddy's smile only grew. "Speaking of planning, mama's condition for convincing papa was that we use the time to do some wedding planning."

It was Severus's turn to groan. "That woman is a true Slytherin. Is there anything in particular we need to worry about."

"No just the basics like colours, flowers, menu. She's already done the guest list for us."

Haddy's strained smile met Severus's frown. "If I didn't fear the consequences I'd elope with you tomorrow and be done with it. I hope she's going to do the bloody seating plan as well, I refuse to deal with that monster."

"Don't worry I'll make sure she does especially since she informed me she'd got the list down to 150 though that might change with the trial."

"Yes though if anything it'll only go up. Anyway, you'd better get back to your dorm before you're missed. The rules haven't changed yet and I wouldn't want you to get in trouble when we're this close to having things sorted." Haddy sighed and flashed him the wounded puppy look. "I know that usually works but since I can have you tomorrow without having to worry I can definitely wait one night."

"Fine," huffed Haddy, giving him a kiss before turning to leave, "but you'd better make it worth the wait. Shall I come straight up here when everyone's left tomorrow?"

"No, I will still have too much to sort out. You may as well ride the train back with your friends, I'm sure they'll be happy to see you. If you floo to mine tomorrow that will give your father time to update you on anything he needs to, don't pout, it's good to spend some time with your family, especially Draco, he'll miss you."

"But he'll see me every day anyway since papa is insisting I floo back every day," Haddy whined but Severus just stared him down, "fine, you're right, it's not the same but you owe me for this."

With that Haddy left in a huff and Severus merely smiled, after all he had two weeks of activities to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise that this is a bit of filler but there is some more smut coming and, good news, I finished the first part of the trial so hopefully it'll all be done soon.


	83. Chapter 83

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haddy starts moving into Severus's house and Severus gets to learn a bit more about his future husband.

Haddy was a little apprehensive as he came through the floo to Severus's country estate. In theory he knew it would soon be 'theirs ' but that hadn't quite registered yet in his mind which is why he'd spent the whole day arguing with Draco and Narcissa about what to pack. Haddy had insisted that he only needed the basics as he would be flooing home every day, at Lucius's insistence, but they stated that he may as well start moving his stuff over now. Obviously he'd lost which was why he was still fidgeting in the foyer when Severus walked in.

"You don't need to stand on ceremony here Hadrian, or have you forgotten the way," Severus said as he came to greet Haddy with a kiss.

"I know I just thought it would be polite to wait."

"This is your home as well, at least I'd like you to think of it that way. Would it help if you were to unpack your things?" Hadfy nodded. "Good, follow me then. I'm afraid only the master suite is complete so you'll have to stay there with me."

"Of course, where else would I stay?" Haddy had almost been offended at the idea until he caught the nervous smile that flashed across Severus's face and realised this was as new for him as it was for Haddy. Feeling the ball of anxiety in his belly loosen a bit Haddy took Severus's hand hoping to help reassure them both. "Lead the way. By the way I hope you don't mind but I brought quite a bit. Mama and Draco thought it would be a good opportunity to start bringing my stuff here."

Severus squeezed his hand. "Good, especially if it helps you to think of this place as your home. Also, feel free to go anywhere you want."

"Even your sacred potions lab?" Haddy joked.

"Yes even there you cheeky brat although I haven't actually had a chance to use it yet with the repairs taking up so much time."

"I'll help where I can, although it sucks that I can't do magic until June."

"That's fine, Hadrian, I was hoping to concentrate mostly on decorating while you're here. I only had the basics at Spinner's End so thought it might be nice to pick out some things together."

"That's good, we can use it to sort out a wedding registry. Mama is insisting ee get one, by the way, since she found out about it while shopping at Selfridges."

"That probably won't be a bad thing given the size of the guest list. We'll only need a few things for the week and we probably won't be back until the summer."

"At which point we'll be married," said Haddy, a touch of awe lacing his voice, amplified by the fact that it had finally hit him that the room they'd just walked into would soon be the bedroom he shared with his husband.

"We still have to decide on an actual date."

"I don't care," replied Haddy, turning to face the man he loved, "so long as it's soon."

Severus smiled indulgently. "I agree although we'll obviously have to wait for the trial and then you have your exams to worry about. We're probably best waiting for the end of the year." Haddy pouted. "At least that way we can leave on our honeymoon straight away."

That piqued Haddy's interest. "That's something else we have to decide. I vote somewhere with room service and a large bed."

Severus laughed. "An interesting proposition but I do insist on some sort of culture. You're not the only one who didn't get to travel much in their youth and I plan to make the most of this opportunity."

"I suppose you have a point and there are some places I wouldn't mind visiting."

"A discussion for tomorrow I think. It's late now so let's get you unpacked."

"And then bed," Haddy said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively, "I do believe we need to christen that bed."

"There are lots of places we need to christen, as you say, Hadrian but one thing at a time please. Where are your things, I assume I need to resize them.

Haddy had a strong sense of satisfaction as he started to fill his half of the wardrobe. Severus's side was surprisingly bare and Haddy joked that he would have to let Draco take him on a shopping trip.

"Not on your life Hadrian! I value my sanity thank you very much."

"But you're marrying a Malfoy now, we have standards to maintain."

"Oh trust me, my standards are just as exacting, do you need another lesson in what I expect from my mate?"

Haddy couldn't suppress the shiver of desire that shot through him. "Yes sir, I think another lesson is definitely required."

"By any chance did you bring your collection of toys?"

"Yes, Draco made sure to pack them before mama could see them." He pulled out the bag that Draco had secretly dropped into his pocket so Severus could resize it and spread the toys out on the bed. Haddy had increased his collection quite a bit since his first shopping trip to Ann Summers, with his confidence increasing as well as knowing he'd actually have a partner to use other things with. 

Severus hummed in appreciation. "This is quite a collection, are you sure you want to use it all?" 

Severus had said that while stroking a studded paddle and Haddy had to swallow to stop himself from drooling. "Yes, or at least try. I've also ordered a book on Japanese rope binding but it hasn't arrived yet."

"Very interesting, and I'm glad you bought the silk rope, I wouldn't want to do too much damage to your lovely skin. What do you think about adding a playroom in the basement to this place? That way we could really explore our kinks."

"That sounds wonderful sir." So wonderful Haddy was tenting his robes just contemplating what they might get up to in there.

"Such an eager bottom," Severus said, eyeing the evidence of Haddy's reaction. "For now though it's late so I think we will limit things a bit." Haddy mewled in disappointment which earned him a raised eyebrow from Severus. The man picked up Haddy's collar, "this I want you to wear all the time while you're here, hopefully it will help teach you your place. Now strip and stand next to the bed, facing it."

Haddy quickly complied, keeping his head bowed in mute apology.

"Good, it seems there's hope for you yet pet. Now put your hands behind your back, that's it, relax your shoulders. Eventually I will use the arm binders on you but I want your muscles to get used to being in this position first before putting too much pressure on them so we'll stick to the wrist restraints for now."

Haddy was a bit disappointed, he'd been stretching his shoulders frequently since buying the restraints but he managed not to let his feelings known, Severus was in charge after all and the man knew best about these things. Haddy tried not to think of who he might have done this with before as Severus gently massaged his shoulders and manipulated them into a more comfortable but restrictive position.

"Well done, pet, keep your hands there, now spread your legs a bit wider so I can attach the bar." 

It felt a bit strange to Haddy to have his legs spread that wide and it was difficult to remain standing with his arms securely behind his back. Thankfully he didn't have to worry about balance for long as Severus bent him in half so his head was resting on the mattress and his arse was sticking in the air. He felt very exposed like this and Haddy had never felt more turned on.

"Look at you all spread out for me," Severus said as he adjusted Haddy's hips slightly, "just waiting for me to fuck you."

"Yes, pleased sir, want you to fuck me hard."

Severus smacked him across his backside. "You will learn to take what you're given and be grateful for it."

"Sorry sir."

"You will be punished properly later, for now be quiet while I prepare you. Do you need the gag or can you keep quiet on your own?"

"Gag please sir, I don't want to put you off with my moaning."

"Fine, snap your fingers for me," Haddy complied, "good, do that if you start to get uncomfortable. Now open wide, we'll use the ball gag to stop you sounding like a cheap whore."

The ball stretched Haddy's mouth and it took a lot of concentration to breathe through his nose as well as swallow to stop himself from drooling. As it was he didn't really notice Severus preparing him so was a little surprised when the man suddenly slammed into him. Severus set a brutal pace, holding onto Haddy's hips for leverage, gripping hard enough to bruise. With each thrust Haddy found his face pushed into the mattress and it wasn't long until his brain was lost in a haze of lust and he was lying in a pool of saliva. He was just starting to feel a little stiff when Severus pulled him off the bed by the collar, changing his grip to Haddy's shoulders and suddenly hitting his prostate each time. Haddy was seeing stars and was soon cuming untouched, shooting his load all over the bed.

Severus continued to thrust for a bit more before following Haddy to completion, breathing hard to try and control his vampiric urges as well as stopping himself from collapsing on his mate. Slowly the fog lifted from his eyes enough to slowly pull out, revelling in the site of his seed leaking out of that perfect arse. He released the boys wrists, carefully massaging them as well as his shoulders, releasing the tension that had built up there, before removing the spreader bar. Haddy was still dazed from the experience so Severus carefully cleaned him up before gently tucking him into bed.

He collected Haddy's sex toys and added them to the few he'd purchased although his own collection seemed relatively tame in comparison. It's not that he wasn't interested in the more extreme play, in fact the dominant nature of his vampiric side revelled in it, he'd just been wary about scaring Haddy off. Apparently he shouldn't have worried, the boy seemed to have extremely kinky tendencies and Severus was looking forward to the chance to explore their preferences together. Perhaps they could even take a shopping trip together, once Severus had sorted out a playroom for them.

Just the thought of pushing his lovely little subs limits was enough to make his cock twitch. That, however, was a job for another day. For now he had a beautiful man gracing his bed and Severus wasn't about to pass up the chance to hold him through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to update weekly at the moment abd have almost finished the trial so with any luck we will soon be finished 😁


	84. Chapter 84

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spring holidays are here and trial preparations are well underway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: after Lucius successfully prosecuted Dumbledore on charges of theft and embezzlement the man was stripped of his position and thrown into Azkaban and Severus was made the new Headmaster of Hogwarts.
> 
> With Dumbledore's reputation now in tatters the Malfoys took the opportunity to bring him down for good.

It was lunchtime by the time Haddy flooed back to Malfoy manor. It had been wonderful to wake up in Severus's arms that morning, especially feeling the man's lovely cock nestled between his arse cheeks. He hadn't been able to stop himself from rocking his hips, rubbing the shaft up and down his cleft. It had been a bit of a shock when Severus slipped into his hole; apparently he'd still been loose enough from the night before and Haddy certainly wasn't going to object to going another round. Severus hadn't objected either, saying he could definitely get used to waking up inside Haddy's arse.

The pace had been a lot more gentle than previous encounters although no less pleasurable. Haddy did, however, find out the upside of always wearing the collar around Severus. The vampire had bitten down on it as he climaxed, obviously trying to prevent himself from completing the bond. Even with the leather protecting him, Severus had still managed to scratch Haddy's neck with the tip of his fangs although thankfully not enough to draw blood. Haddy realised he would have to be careful: as much as he enjoyed being with Severus he didn't want to push the man too much.

"You're late, Haddy," Lucius said as he entered the dining room.

"At least you look well rested," Narcissa chimed in as she gave Haddy a kiss on his cheek.

"I am, thank you mama." It was true; they'd fallen asleep again after their morning exertions which was why he was running late.

"Good, I'm glad Severus is taking care of you properly, you'll need to be in full health when we face Dumbledore at trial."

"I know papa, that's why I asked to stay with Severus to begin with, so I'd be more relaxed."

"Just be careful. I'm worried that if you two bond Dumbledore will be able to use it against you."

"I know papa, it will also risk changing the narrative. Don't worry, I won't put our case at risk like that."

"Glad to hear it. Now eat your lunch we have a busy afternoon ahead of us." It sounded a little cold but Haddy had learned that this was his father's way of expressing worry over the idea of him getting hurt by the upcoming trial.

Lucius hadn't been joking, there were countless accounts to trace, time consuming and extremely boring work, not helped by the fact that they then had to reword everything so that the Wizengamot would be able to understand it. Haddy tried to complain that he didn't have a head for figures either but Lucius reassured him that he had a far better chance of understanding it than even half the council. Not overly surprising given the amount of dummy accounts Dumbledore had passed the funds through: the goblins were despairing that they'd never be able to retrieve all the money. Haddy was almost upset that they'd finished going through his testimony already so he didn't have an excuse not to help. It had been boring at the time and some of the questions Gladstone asked him were extremely personal but he had been assured that it was routine and Dumbledore's lawyer would likely be vicious in his cross examination. 

Mr Gladstone was also excused from this work busy in meetings with his aunt and Tom, working with mind healers to try to figure out everything Dumbledore had done to them. They were slowly filling in some of the gaps and had been able to transfer them to a pensive so they could be used in the trial. Lucius warned them that their testimony might not carry much weight given their checkered past but it would be good to open lines of questioning such as what actually happened to the Longbottoms. Rabastan, Rodolphus and Bellatrix had been able to recollect that night and their memories all clearly showed Frank and Alice still very much in control of their faculties when the aurors arrived to arrest the death eaters. This posed the question as to what happened after that caused the Longbottoms to become permanently brain damaged and, more to the point, who? 

His mama wasn't sitting on her laurels either. She was in talks with Phineas Nigellus Black since Severus had given permission, as the current headmaster, for the portrait to talk about everything he had seen and heard. The second portrait had been removed from Grimmauld Place and was now at the Manor so Narcissa could spend her days recording all of the things the man could remember. Again his testimony wasn't solid as there was no direct way to verify Phineas's statements but Gladstone assured them that it could definitely be used to introduce new lines of questioning they could use against Dumbledore who would be under a hefty dose of veritaserum, that would be tested by three independent potions masters to make sure it was working properly.

The stage was set and the week passed slowly, especially as Haddy had to travel to the Manor each day, Lucius's proviso for Haddy staying with Severus at nights. He did still get to spend some time with Severus and they were able to go on a shopping trip: a thoroughly enlightening experience for Haddy since Severus had taken him to a hardcore sex shop. He had been amazed at the range of different products on offer and had spent hours looking over everything with his mate.

Haddy had unsurprisingly wanted to dive straight in with everything but Severus, as usual had been the voice of reason, opting for the beginner specs on items and reminding him that they would have a lifetime together so they could take their time familiarising themselves with all the products to find out which ones they really liked. Suffice it to say their playroom was soon kitted out and Haddy enjoyed experiencing their new purchases. Not that they limited themselves to one room; Severus had seen fit to christen every usable room in the house and was not above randomly throwing Haddy over the neatest surface whenever the mood took him, which amounted to at least once a day.

Haddy enjoyed every second of his time with Severus and was dreading having to go back to school where they would have to be apart again. He knew his father was hoping to get the rules changed again, especially when the new revelations about Dumbledore came to light, but Haddy didn't want to get his hopes up.

They hadn't only been fucking like bunnies though. Haddy always made sure to have at least one meal a day with Severus and they would often spend some time in the evenings, cuddling on the sofa, discussing how things were going with the trial and at the school. They had, of course, also made some decisions about the wedding since neither wanted to risk earning Narcissa's wrath. They'd opted for a green and white colour scheme with gold accents since Haddy was still proud of his Gryffindor roots and Severus point blank refused to wear red. They'd even set the date for the last Saturday in June, the day after Hogwarts broke up. Haddy had tried to argue for an earlier date but Severus pointed out that they would both be extremely busy with exams after the break, plus whatever fallout there would be from the trial, so there was no point in rushing things. Haddy had even tried to use his best puppy expression but to no avail and, when both his parents had agreed with Severus's assessment, finally relented. The upside was everything for the ceremony was essentially sorted, now he only had to wait and unfortunately patience wasn't Haddy's strong suit.

Luckily, or unluckily, there was the trial of Dumbledore to contend with before anything else and that was shaping up to be an epic showdown. Gladstone was already preparing for the thing to go on all week, a feat almost unheard of in the wizarding community where trials tended to only last a few hours. Unfortunately the sheer magnitude of crimes committed by the old fart was too great to simply brush over and Gladstone wanted to leave no stone unturned. Every lead was investigated to make sure Dumbledore could not worm his way out.

The night before the trial was due to start Haddy was immensely anxious, constantly fidgeting. He tried going for a walk and flying but to no avail. Going back to Malfoy Manor was out of the question since only the thought of going there wound him up even more. Haddy was desperate and extremely worried about annoying Severus with his inability to sit still for more than two seconds but the man seemed to take it all in stride: running a hot bath and soaking in it with Haddy, even massaging his shoulders while calmly talking through every worry, listening no matter how stupid it seemed, and rationalising all Haddy's fears without outright dismissing them.

Once Haddy was suitably relaxed Severus had carried him to the bed and gently made love to him. It had been a bit of a new experience for Haddy, to have just them, no toys or ties. They'd both been able to touch each other to their heart's content, staring into each other's eyes as they reaffirmed their love. It had been enjoyable and just what Haddy had needed at the time. Although he would not be giving up their toys any time soon, it was a nice change of pace, and maybe something they might do from time to time though not before they married.

This was the first time Haddy had seen how much Severus had to fight his instincts every time they were together and he made a vow to do everything he could to make things easier on his mate. Severus had seemed in immense pain as he clearly fought the urge to complete the bond and Haddy's respect for the man had only grown. As had his determination to make sure the trial of the century reached the appropriate conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if any of you noticed but I this fic is now officially 90 chapters long since I have actually started writing the final chapter!!!
> 
> I am so happy although my muse is dragging her feet a bit so I'll make no promises as to when it'll actually all be up but the end is nigh my friends so please bare with me.


	85. Chapter 85

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial of the century gets underway and the wizarding world is in for several shocking revelations in this first part of the trial.

Courtroom 10 at the Ministry of Magic was already packed to the rafters as Haddy made his way to the front benches on the prosecution side. It was noisy as well as witches and wizards from all walks speculated about what would occur that day. Details of some of the charges had already been leaked to the press, ones of embezzlement and child endangerment, ideas that had already been floated and so hadn't come as a huge surprise to the public at large with many loudly attesting that they had always known Dumbledore was crooked. A good sign to be sure but not enough to get the man any serious jail time, unlike the other charges that would come up as testimony was given. They'd managed to keep the rest a secret, not wanting to give the old man too much chance to prepare, hoping a shock and awe tactic would help steamroll the verdict they wanted.

Haddy had certainly been surprised at how much of the trial process was theatrics, how much could be manipulated in a process that was meant to be about the facts. This was something that was emphasised when Dumbledore hobbled into the courtroom, looking decrepit and unkempt, a far cry from the powerful headmaster of Hogwarts that Haddy was used to seeing. It almost made him feel sorry for the man.

"Now that's a surprise," Lucius muttered, his face a cool mask betraying none of his thoughts, "I would have bet his pride would have prevented him from stooping to this level but it seems I was wrong."

"He's a master manipulator," Gladstone replied, "we must assume nothing throughout this process and keep our heads as we will only get one shot at taking him down." 

It was a stark reminder for Haddy who made a silent promise to steel himself against anything that Dumbledore might say or do. Severus must have guessed some of his thoughts as he squeezed Haddy's hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry love, the facade will break eventually, just be patient." That was never Haddy's strong suit but at the moment all he could do was keep up a mask of indifference; he was a Malfoy after all, he had to consider his family's reputation.

It had been decided that Haddy would give his testimony first since so much of it had already been reported in the press and would be what everyone, including Dumbledore, was expecting.

Cornelius Fudge was still the minister of magic and, as far Mr Gladstone and his father were concerned, a bit of a loose canon. The man was desperate to cling to power at any cost and would go in whichever direction the wind of public opinion blew and so could not be counted on for anything. He also commanded very little authority, even in his own administration, and it took him several attempts to get proceedings underway.

"Witches and wizards, we are here to hear charges of child endangerment and embezzlement against one Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts…" 

"If you please, Minister" Mr Jackson, Dumbledore's legal council interrupted, "but we don't like our client referred to as former headmaster, we feel it is too alienating. Perhaps we could say 'defeater or Grindelwald' instead."

"But he is the former headmaster," Amelia Bones pointed out.

"He is also the defeater of Grindelwald," Jackson insisted.

"In that case perhaps we should go with 'defeater of Grindelwald and former headmaster of Hogwarts'" suggested Gladstone.

"That is quite the mouthful," Fudge complained. "We'll leave it at just his name although I think even that's too much. Anyway, where was I, oh yes, charges of child endangerment and embezzlement. How does the defendant plead?" 

"Not guilty," rasped Dumbledore.

"We shall proceed then. Mr Gladstone, please call your first witness."

"Thank you, minister. The prosecution calls to the stand Mr Hadrian Malfoy, formerly known as Harry Potter."

Haddy reluctantly got up and walked to the stand. It was a bit different, standing on this side of proceedings. Still intimidating but at least he didn't have to worry about getting thrown into Azkaban this time. He was, however, subjected to veritaserum: a bit of a risky move but at least the defence wouldn't be able to accuse him of lying. Haddy recounted his life with the Dursleys, receiving his Hogwarts letters and his 'adventures' in his early years at the school. The serum meant he went into great detail about a lot of the incidents, mentioning things that hadn't come up in the articles like the fact that the headmaster had gifted him with an invisibility cloak at the age of 11 which drew shocked gasps from large parts of the audience: apparently giving a school child such an object was frowned upon in the wizarding world. There was also the incident with the time turner that caused even the minister to pause and say that an investigation would be opened. 

Of course Jackson probed everything he said on cross.

"You can't expect that the headmaster was aware of everything you were up to while you were at school, Mr Malfoy."

"Of course I'm not expecting him to know about everything, and to find out what he knew exactly you have to ask him yourself. I do know he must have been aware of somethings since he knew that I'd been visiting the mirror of Erised frequently in my first year, despite the fact that I was using my cloak and he only stopped me after he thought I was getting obsessed."

"That could easily be explained by a simple monitoring spell, the man isn't omniscient."

"Of course he isn't since he apparently didn't realise that the Alastor Moody that taught my 4th year was actually a fake even though they were meant to be good friends."

"Yes, well, we have it on good authority that Mr Crouch was an excellent actor so it's unsurprising that people were fooled. But it's not like Professor Dumbledore could be expected to know what was happening at your home address."

"Except that I was often left with Mrs Figg, who lived around the corner from the Dursleys and is a squib and a friend of Mr Dumbledore's, even a member of his order. She saw and heard about how the Dursleys were treating me and it's unlikely that she wouldn't have told him about it."

"Fine, Mr Malfoy, that is all for now."

With that Harry went back to his seat on the bench, taking Severus's hand as he breathed a sigh of relief, glad that that was finally over. He felt his testimony went well which should secure at least the child endangerment charges against him which should significantly increase his jail time and ensure the bastard would not be allowed anywhere near the school. Unfortunately he couldn't enjoy Severus's company too long as his fiancée was the next up to testify.

Severus took the stand with his usual grace and began giving testimony as to the state of the school's finances eliciting gasps throughout the gallery. It seemed as if, despite the previous convictions, people could still be shocked at how self serving the former headmaster actually was. Afterwards Gladstone also had Severus testify about his own experiences at the school, specifically the incidents with the marauders. On cross, Jackson tried to shift the blame to Severus himself, saying he gave as good as he got which only led to a discussion of the shrieking shack incident.

"How do you know the students weren't adequately punished?" Jackson asked.

"You mean other than the fact that they were still allowed to attend school despite almost killing me?" Severus sneered, "Well a conversation with a former headmaster shed some light on that."

"Yes, well, it's not like we can bring the whole Wizengamot to the headmasters office to chat to the portraits and, since you testifying on what you heard would only be hearsay, I guess we'll have to leave that to people's imaginations."

"Not so fast," Gladstone interrupted, "I call the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black to the stand."

"How, the portraits can't be removed from the headmaster's office!" Jackson seemed slightly panicked and Haddy could have sworn he saw the headmaster twitch but he was doing a very good job of maintaining the image of a frail old man, unable to fully follow proceedings.

Severus got down from the stand and the portrait was brought out.

"Objection!" called Jackson, "a portrait can't be given veritaserum, how can we be sure he is telling the truth?"

"I can simply ask your client when it's his turn to testify. Given that this evidence is related to things that he has done, and your client can be given veritaserum, it's easy enough to confirm or deny the portraits accusations." Gladstone looked incredibly smug and Haddy wasn't overly surprised as the evidence that people were about to hear was going to be particularly damning to the man's character.

"Mr Black," Gladstone began, "can you explain to the court what happened in regards to the punishment of the so called marauders after Mr Snape had almost been attacked by Mr Lupin who had changed into a werewolf."

"Then headmaster Dumbledore called all four boys into his office and explained the gravity of the situation they faced and that he was duty bound to expel them all unless they could prove that they were not all involved. At this point Mr Potter stepped forward and claimed that the entire thing had been his idea because he wanted to teach Mr Snape a lesson for hanging around with Miss Evans and that the other boys had had no idea what he had planned. The other boys reluctantly agreed with his statement and Mr Dumbledore dismissed them saying that only Mr Potter would receive the punishment for their crimes.

"Once the other boys had left Mr Dumbledore turned to Mr Potter and asked told him there was a way that he could get away without being expelled but he would have to do exactly as Mr Dumbledore said and he wouldn't be able to complain or stop until Mr Dumbledore said the punishment was over. Mr Potter reluctantly agreed to which Mr Dumbledore proceeded to spank him. He then had Mr Potter suck his cock before Mr Dumbledore had anal sex with him."

"Are you saying that Mr Dumbledore raped a student while he was headmaster?" Gladstone asked.

"Yes, although it didn't seem to put him off as he kept coming back."

"Albus Dumbledore was carrying on a sexual relationship with a student? I was under the impression that Mr Potter was only in his 6th year at that point."

"Yes and the affair continued until Mr Potter passed: an event Mr Dumbledore mourned greatly."

"But wasn't Mr Potter married to Miss Evans at this stage."

"Yes although the affair was part of the arrangement Mr Dumbledore made with Miss Evans. She would have the advantageous match that she wanted and Mr Dumbledore would have cover to carry on seeing Mr Potter without anyone asking questions."

"Thank you Mr Black, no further questions."

The portrait was removed when Mr Jackson indicated he had no questions, obviously worrying about further incriminating his client. The mood in the gallery was restless and the press was frantically scribbling, trying to accurately record all of the damning accusations that were being laid at Dumbledore's feet. 

Severus squeezed Haddy's hand, and Haddy understood the message. If Dumbledore himself was having an affair with the student then it was obvious his latest rule was specifically to stop them and not about concern for student's safety which meant they should have a good chance at being able to overturn it. It would be nice to be able to spend time together without having to sneak around especially as it would still be a few months until they were married.

"Is that all your witnesses, Mr Gladstone?" the minister asked, clearly hoping to speed up the process. There were a lot of allegations made, especially by Harry, that didn't reflect well on his administration and the man was probably hoping to move things along before anyone said anything worse. 

"Not yet, Minister Fudge," Gladstone said and Haddy could have sworn he'd heard half the Wizengamot groan, unused to such long trials. "I call my next witness to the stand: Mr Tom Riddle."


	86. Chapter 86

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom Riddle takes the stand and has some revelations that will shock the wizarding world to its core.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: The Malfoys worked hard to reveal the evil machinations of Dumbledore and were able to get him imprisoned for financial crimes but unfortunately those don't come with much jail time. With his reputation at a all time low, the Malfoys took the opportunity to file the more serious charges against the man.
> 
> The trial is underway with Haddy and Severus already having given their testimony and now Tom has been called to the stand.

Haddy watched Dumbledore becoming increasingly nervous as Tom was administered veritaserum and took the stand.

"Voldemort," he screamed pointing a finger at Tom, "arrest him!"

The assembled masses broke out into nervous giggles at the image and Haddy could well imagine how ridiculous it must look to some people; the idea that this smartly dressed, handsome wizard was the thing of their nightmares. Maybe the old fool might be better believed if he wasn't trying to portrait himself as frail and broken to garner sympathy. Admittedly they were all in for a massive shock later when Tom revealed the truth but it would definitely work in their favor for people to think that Dumbledore was just a crazy old man until then.

"Jackson!" shouted Fudge, "Control your client or I'll hold you in contempt."

Haddy suppressed a snicker at seeing such a loss of composure in someone such as Albus Dumbledore but a quick look at Severus and his father's faces showed him that they were not out of the woods yet. They knew Tom's testimony was a double edged sword: they needed him to tell the world about the crimes the old man had committed against him but, in doing so, he would have to expose the crimes he'd committed himself. He'd been cursed at the time so was theoretically innocent but the wizarding world was notoriously fickle about such rules and there was a chance this could blow up in all their faces. Tom had assured them he was willing to face the consequences of his actions whatever they may be and reminded them that, worst case scenario, this would be proof that Voldemort was gone for good and would prevent Dumbledore from being able to use that threat in the future. Haddy had been impressed at the man's composure in the face if such a fate and his respect for Tom increased: he could fully understand why the man had amassed so many followers before.

"Now Mr Riddle," Gladstone began once Jackson had managed to settle Dumbledore down, "can you please explain to the court who you are and what charges you would like to make against Mr Dumbledore."

"Of course Mr Gladstone. I grew up as an orphan in the muggle world until I was visited by Mr Dumbledore who informed me that I was in fact a wizard and was able to attend Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was immensely helpful and even suggested I might be able to get adopted by a muggle family since there was a war going on in the muggle world and it was dangerous to stay in London. Then I informed him I could talk to snakes, wondering if that was normal and his demeanour completely changed."

Haddy noticed a few people become concerned at this admission and wanted to scream at their idiocy; as if a simple ability could make a person evil. 

"He watched me all the time at school," Tom continued, "and was constantly suspicious of everything I did. I was a very able student and liked by all my other teachers except for him despite not doing anything against the rules. During my 5th year I discovered the Chamber of Secrets and spent a lot of time exploring it. Unfortunately I wasn't aware that there was a Basilisk still alive down there until a poor girl was killed at which point I forced the creature away and resealed the chamber, I'd hoped, for good."

There were a few murmurs around the courtroom as people started to put the pieces of the puzzle together but, for once, Haddy was grateful that the majority of the wizarding world were idiots.

"The level of defence education was poor even then but, despite that, I was able to graduate with an outstanding in Defence against the Dark Arts and applied for the teaching position upon graduation. Armondo Dippet was still headmaster at the time but he deferred a lot to Albus Dumbledore who advised him that someone who had only just graduated would not have enough experience for the post. I didn't agree with Mr Dumbledore's view for the wizarding world and went into politics, hoping to add a differing voice to the mix and managed to rise to the position of undersecretary to the then minister when a defence position opened up again. Over the years, using my position at the Ministry, I'd noticed a steady decline in Hogwarts students grades in the subject and, with my then partners opinion, decided to try and change things. Unfortunately I wasn't prepared for how far Mr Dumbledore was willing to go to achieve his vision and, during my interview, he placed me under the imperius curse."

The collective gasp of the gallery was almost deafening.

"I assume you have proof to back up your accusations?" Fudge asked.

"Of course," Tom replied, "I have submitted all of my medical records. The elves have spent a great deal of time trying to piece together my memory from all of the obliterates that have been cast on me over the years. Unfortunately there are still a number of gaps but the memories I have recovered paint a very damning picture.

"Under the effects of imperius, Mr Dumbledore took me to the house of my father where he had me kill my family. He then used some very dark magic to split my soul and create some artifacts called horcruxes. He let me go back home although he still held me under the curse. My partner, Regulus Black, was suspicious of my behaviour but had no actual knowledge of what was happening to me so stayed close.

"Between the curse and the splitting of my soul, my mind was very weak and open to suggestion meaning I ended up voting against my ideals on a number of laws that came up in the Wizengamot but I still fought as much as I could. I was told to go to the houses of people who I now know to be opposers to Dumbledore's ideas. I was told, then, that they were terrible people who abused children and used their positions to get away with it. It was the only way Mr Dumbledore could convince me to actually kill anyone."

"So you admit to multiple counts of murder then, Mr Riddle?" the minister asked.

"Yes and I am fully willing to submit to any punishment the council wishes to give me. I just ask that I am able to finish my testimony first." The Wizengamot nodded as one. "Thank you. Mr Dumbledore used the other murders to further split my soul and weaken my mind to the point that I had no independent thought. At that point Mr Dumbledore had me create a new persona for myself, that of Lord Voldemort."

Haddy was pretty sure that several members of the gallery fainted and it took some time to bring the Courtroom back to order.

"Sorry," began Tom, "I'm aware that it is very shocking and almost unbelievable but I assure you that it's true, the fact that I am under the influence of veritaserum should be testament to that.

"As Lord Voldemort I had a number of encounters with Mr Dumbledore where he initially told me who to go after. As a politician I had amassed a number of supporters who I then pushed to join me as death eaters, threatening them and their families to get them to join as death eaters."

"Are you suggesting that none of the death eaters joined willingly?" asked Amelia Bones.

"Some of them did, and I'll happily give testimony of them at another time, but most were there under duress and often worked to temper some of Lord Voldemort's ideas."

"You spoke about Lord Voldemort as if he was a separate person. Why?" asked Doge, one of the Wizengamot members and an avid supporter of Dumbledore.

"Yes, I refer to him as a different person because I do class him as a separate entity since I would never commit any of that had I been of sound mind. Mr Dumbledore's actions forced me and many others into that role and I'm afraid you'll have to ask him why as, unfortunately, anything I suggest is just hearsay which is a shame since I had a very enlightening conversation with Gellert Grindelwald a couple of months ago."

Gladstone stood up. "At this point I would like to request that Mr Riddle's memories be extracted and added to evidence since it is impossible for me to call Mr Grindelwald to the stand."

"Objection!" shouted Jackson, "I cannot cross examine Mr Grindelwald if he is not present and we have no way of verifying if what he is saying is the truth."

"As with Mr Black, we can simply ask your client during his testimony if what is said is the truth or not," explained Gladstone. "Frankly I believe that the evidence is immensely important, not just to the trial but the wizarding world in general."

"That's quite a statement, Mr Gladstone, perhaps the Wizengamot should view the memory separately before making a decision. If we deem the information pertinent then we can simply use Mr Riddle's testimony as evidence," Amelia Bones said, and Haddy was starting to understand why she was head of the department of magical law enforcement. 

"An excellent decision, Madame Bones." 

Gladstone removed a vial from his robes with the memory already inside. An Unspeakable was called in to join the Wizengamot in the viewing to testify as to the validity of what they were seeing. It took several minutes for them to come back but Haddy could instantly see from their faces that what they'd heard had shocked them to their very core and wasn't at all surprised when the Minister signalled to Gladstone to begin questioning.

"For the sake of the court, Mr Riddle, can you explain what the Wizengamot have just witnessed and why you decided to try and find Mr Grindelwald in the first place."

"Of course Mr Gladstone. After my soul had been restored and the elves had healed my mind I set about trying to figure out why Mr Dumbledore had gone to such great lengths to control me. I thought to question Mr Grindelwald since I knew from experience that a person often ended up learning a great deal when battling an enemy. What I learned, however, is that those two were closer than everyone realised.

"In his younger days Mr Grindelwald met Mr Dumbledore when he'd gone to visit his aunt, Bathilda Bagshot. They became fast friends and were eventually lovers. They actually agreed on a lot of subjects including the idea that they thought it was ridiculous that powerful wizards should essentially cower to the will of muggles. They did differ on how they thought they should handle the problem, though. As many know, Mr Grindelwald believed that all muggles who didn't bend to the will of wizards should be destroyed. Mr Dumbledore, however, thought that that would cause too much conflict and that it would be better to slowly merge the two groups, a move that would reduce the general power of wizards and help elevate those few who remained strong.

"Mr Grindelwald detested the idea of forcing magic to weaken which is what caused a rift to form between them and for them to eventually become enemies. Mr Dumbledore used his defeat of a seemingly unbeatable enemy to elevate himself and to start implementing his plans behind the scenes.

"He visited Mr Grindelwald from time to time over the years and explained his plan to him since Mr Grindelwald was the only person he felt he could trust since he was stuck in jail and had no other visitors. Mr Grindelwald stated that Mr Dumbledore was pushing squibs, as well as those witches and wizards who were too weak to attend a magical institution, to try and make a name for themselves in the muggle world instead. Many agreed as small magical skills could be greatly utilised amongst muggles and many did very well for themselves, eventually cutting all ties with the magical world and people forgot that they existed. This led to an increase in the number of apparent muggle born although they were often half blood and even sometimes pureblood, as seen by the recent inheritance tests performed by the goblins."

"This is all conjecture," shouted Jackson, "this is worse than hearsay, this information is third hand at best and is essentially slander."

"Not quite, Mr Jackson. I do believe Mr Riddle has finished his testimony for now and, as such, I would like to call my next witness: Corban Yaxley."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: On a side note, do you, as readers, prefer shorter, more frequent updates or would you rather wait for longer, more substantial chapters?
> 
> I was just wondering for my next fic. Some of the chapters have come up a little on the shorter side (1500-2000 words) and I was wondering if it would be better to spend the time extending them or just edit and get them up a bit more quickly.
> 
> Thanks for you're continued support guys, it's greatly appreciated.


	87. Chapter 87

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial of the century comes to an end, but is it time to rejoice?

The Fall of Albus Dumbledore!

Dear readers, the trial of the century is finally over! After 3 long days of hearing evidence, an unheard of event in the wizarding world, the wizard formerly known for his defeat of Grindelwald has been found guiltily on numerous charges including embezzlement, child endangerment, the use of unforgivables and high treason against the magical world, a charge that has not been used since Grindelwald himself.

Those of you that have been following our coverage of events will not be overly surprised by the results of the trial but for anyone that might have missed our previous editions we will do a quick catch up of events.

On the first day we were given testimony by Hadrian Malfoy, although none of that would have been a surprise to most readers who have been following the poor boy's story. Then it was the turn of Headmaster Severus Snape, former potions master of Hogwarts, who told us of how the former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had been systematically removing all funds from the great school and funnelling the money into his own accounts, leaving the fine institution knuts away from bankruptcy. This was a shock to many of the school's alumni who, along with this paper, started up a fundraising drive to ensure the future running of that fine institution. 

The second shock of the day had come in the form of Phineas Nigellus Black, or at least his portrait, former headmaster of Hogwarts. He gave testimony to how Albus Dumbledore had coerced a student, specifically one James Potter, into an illicit relationship which carried on even after Mr Potter was married. As shocking as the charges were, many people were more surprised at the idea given how vehemently Dumbledore had fought against students having sexual relations, even going so far as to threaten expulsion when it came to light that now headmaster Snape had a mate amongst the student populace, namely one Hadrian Malfoy. This behaviour may seem somewhat contradictory but it appears that Dumbledore was incredibly racist, viewing anyone that wasn't pureblood human as a lesser being and that this was one of his ways of getting rid of other species from the magical world. This didn't become clear until the second day of testimony with Remus Lupin and former auror Corban Yaxley.

Mr Lupin, a werewolf himself, had formerly been held up as a beacon, a sign of Dumbledore's acceptance of other species since he had allowed the man to attend Hogwarts as a child. It turns out, however, that that was merely a cover for his own racist beliefs as he encouraged Sirius Black and then, after his death, Nymphadora Tonks to rape and abuse poor Mr Lupin all in the name of 'controlling the animal'. Miss Tonks, currently on maternity leave from the auror service, will be facing an investigation into her conduct upon her return as well as possible criminal charges of her own. Thankfully Mr Lupin was able to get away from them and has, in recent months, been living happily in a werewolf commune at one of the properties owned by Hadrian Malfoy.

I have to say, dear readers, that the list of injuries Mr Lupin had endured over the years was horrific and I felt sick to my stomach as they were read out: just more case of abuse suffered at the hands of children while they were meant to be under Dumbledore's care. I was glad to hear that Mr Lupin has been making an excellent recovery with the rest of his community. I, like many I'm sure, was under the mistaken impression that werewolves were vicious creatures who would take joy in attacking others. This, it appears, was just more of Dumbledore's propaganda that had made its way into our society over the years. Even the werewolf attacks of last year that had many people quaking in their boots were nothing more than manipulations masterminded by Dumbledore. It turns out Mr Lupin had been given a muggle narcotic known as rohypnol instead of his wolfsbane, a drug which caused amnesia and worked to subdue the humanity in him. He was then let loose in his wolf form to attack unsuspecting victims with no memory of the event.

This was done with the knowledge of aurors who would then come in to make sure that nothing could lead back to Mr Lupin while making sure that the attacks were publicised. We learned all this from the testimony of Corban Yaxley who worked closely over the years with Dumbledore and was crucial in implementing a lot of Dumbledore's policies included encouraging, and sometimes even threatening, squibs and people with low magical power to migrate to the muggle world, often bribing them with start up loans to keep the move secret. This explained why so many people that took Gringotts inheritance test the other month suddenly found out they had more wizarding heritage that they had originally thought and why Dumbledore had arranged for Yaxley and some other death eaters to attack Hadrian Malfoy and his friends when they went to get their test.

Mr Yaxley's testimony was not only damning of Dumbledore's conduct but also large swathes of the auror department who have been working closely with him to secretly implement his policies and cover up his crimes. An in depth investigation has begun into a heretofore highly regarded department and this reporter predicts many heads will roll in the days to come. 

Mr Yaxley's testimony was only slightly less incriminating, and surprising, than that of one Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known to many as Lord Voldemort; a character who turned out to be a complete fabrication of Dumbledore's who wanted to create another dark lord character that he could then defeat to cement his position as the greatest wizard of this century and be able to implement whatever policy he wanted.

All this was confirmed by Dumbledore himself who took the stand yesterday. He was given the highest dose of veritaserum that could be administered but was still seen to initially fight the effects before the potion took over and he began to spill all of his secrets, of which there were many.

Dumbledore was indeed Grindelwald's lover and agreed with the man that wizards shouldn't cower to muggles. But, unlike Grindelwald, Dumbledore wanted to rule over them both and be hailed on the same level as Merlin himself, if not above. This is why he pushed weaker wizards into the muggle community to increase the number of low level magic users in the magical community. He also alienated magical creatures, who squibs and weaker witches and wizards used to bond with to increase their magical level. This was partly as a way to keep the magical population weaker to prevent anyone from being born who was stronger than him but also from a deep seated hatred of any non human who he believed were lesser creatures.

He created the character of Voldemort, taking advantage of a poor orphan child who happened to be a parselmouth which he knew he could use to heighten people's fear. He split the man's soul to weaken his mind and make him more malleable while also ensured that only he would have the key to the man's true defeat, increasing the wizarding world's reliance on him.

Dumbledore also admitted to kidnapping Hadrian Malfoy as a baby. It seems as if James Potter was desperate for an heir and had managed to bribe Lily Potter into getting pregnant since she had no desire for a family herself. Unfortunately for Mr Potter she had a miscarriage and nearly died as a result so refused to go through that process again. Mrs Malfoy had just given birth to twins so Dumbledore took advantage of his position to gain access to hospital records and, through obliterating a number of staff, was able to switch the children, having the Potter child cremated so no one would be able to tell.

At the same time Grindelwald, a renowned seer received a prophecy which he told to his old friend and which set a number of events in motion.

'Born of the light of the forest and the vale, that meets the dark of the night.  
The one that was great shall fall and he shall unite them all.'

Dumbledore apparently had his suspicions upon hearing this, suspicions that he felt were confirmed when Lily Potter informed him young Hadrian appeared to be the mate of Severus Snape; known by both to be half vampire. Believing that Hadrian would lead to his downfall, Dumbledore set in motion a series of events that would theoretically result in the death of Hadrian, then known as Harry Potter.

We know what happened afterwards and, as often happens, it seems Dumbledore was unable to escape his destiny and has ended up being the master of his own downfall. The only downside, as far as this reporter is concerned, is that Dumbledore has managed to escape receiving the kiss and has only been imprisoned alongside his former lover. The Wizengamot along with a number of other families were worried that if Dumbledore was to be given the kiss then all the money that he has stolen over the years will be lost for good and are more worried about getting that back than what keeping that monster alive might mean for the future of the wizarding world. I can only hope that this remains the best course of action and that we don't all live to regret the councils short-sightedness. 

Severus smiled as he reread the paper. The students were due back to Hogwarts that afternoon but he expected that there would be a subdued atmosphere for a while as everyone digested the information although he was sure there would be a number of quiet celebrations in the days to come.

Some people he knew were more shaken than others, however, and he had a feeling that Minerva would struggle to recover from the blow of seeing her hero fall so far. At least he knew that everyone would be turning a blind eye to his and Haddy's relationship and he'd been informed by the governors that there would be no repercussions if Haddy were to be found spending the night in his rooms although Lucius did point out that he still expected his son to get good grades in his exams and would be extremely upset if they were to bond before they were married. They agree that it would be best for them to spend their nights apart, at least until Haddy's exams were over. Thankfully there were only 10 more weeks until the end of the school year and his much anticipated wedding; he couldn't wait to finally make his young mate his and knew that Haddy was just as anxious for the day to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucky you, another update. I really want to start posting my new fic but I refuse to have multiple fics on the go again so this may end up getting done sooner than I'd thought although I doubt any of you will complain.


	88. Chapter 88

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial of century is over and the wedding of the century is just around the corner. Just a few more things to sort out first.

The weeks following Dumbledore's trial were pure torture for Haddy. He had hoped that now he would be able to see Severus whenever he liked given how hypocritical Dumbledore's rules had turned out but apparently his mate was stubborn. His father had already gotten to the headmaster who had made Haddy swear that he would not try and stay over in his rooms until exams were over so that he could concentrate on studying. He'd tried complaining to Hermione and Draco but unfortunately they had no sympathy for him saying that he would be married soon and could have sex whenever he wanted but he would only be able take his exams once. He honestly should have known better than to expect sympathy from a couple of book worms who had already put a dating embargo on until after exams themselves.

The only highlight for him was Remus visiting now that he no longer had to worry about Dumbledore. There had been a Hogsmeade weekend scheduled after exams to allow students to blow off some steam and was the perfect opportunity for them to catch up which was why Haddy was currently sitting outside the shrieking shack waiting for his arrival.

"I hope you haven't been sitting there too long, although I'm surprised you didn't suggest meeting up inside if you're worried about crowds."

"Hey Remus. Unfortunately Draco and Hermione have already booked the house to make up for time they lost over the exam period."

"Ah, young love," mused Remus, "not that I know anything about it personally but I've seen it's effects."

"I don't know, Remus. You're still young so there's nothing stopping you from getting out there and looking for a mate."

Remus laughed. "Firstly, you only consider me to be young because you're about to marry someone the same age as me. Secondly it's not as easy for me to find someone as you might think."

"Is this about Tonks? Did you find out if she's actually pregnant?" Haddy asked, becoming worried for his friend. 

"Yes that's part of it. She is actually pregnant but the dates are a little off. It's hard to be exact but it appears that she got pregnant on the week of a full moon so, while it's not conclusive, it certainly casts doubt on the child being mine."

"You said that's only partly the problem. You're not still having issues with depression are you? I thought you were seeing a mind healer?" 

"I am Haddy, but a lifetime of abuse is hard to get over. I honestly don't know if I'll ever be ready for a relationship since I always associate sex with pain and humiliation."

"That's not always a bad thing," Haddy muttered which caused Remus to raise an eyebrow in question. "It turns out I have some kinks that definitely fit in with being the mate of a vampire."

Remus put his hands over his ears. "Enough said, I don't want to know details."

"Good 'cos I don't particularly want to share. My point is, though, that you don't know if you don't try. I'm not saying you have to rush into anything but don't close yourself off either."

"Fenrir says the same; he's been very supportive of me through all this."

"I bet he has," Haddy said with a grin. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Only that I think he's got a personal interest in you getting better and trying dating and I don't think he would mind waiting for you or even having a relationship without sex."

"That's ridiculous Haddy, he's the alpha of the commune, he's expected to reproduce. You should see the way the females throw themselves at him on the full moon, it's disgusting."

"It sounds like you're jealous."

"Admittedly Moony does get a little territorial at those times and Fenrir has had to discipline him. Nothing extreme, just a gentle nip on the back of the neck to let me know that I was going too far. If I'm honest it's actually been a big help. Sirius used to attack me on the full moon as well once he'd mastered his animagus form so the wolf used to get a little skittish but seems to have calmed down now."

"That's good to hear but I don't think you should rule out being with Fenrir if that's something you truly want. I know you've come up with a bunch of excuses as to why it wouldn't work but you have to let him have a say as well. You never know, he might just refute all your reasons and push ahead regardless."

"When did you get so wise Haddy?"

"Experience. Severus thought similar things and kept me at such a distance that I genuinely thought he didn't like me. There's a chance I might have found someone else if Tom hadn't let slip that we were mates and I know full well that if that had happened then I'd have lost Severus forever. Having been where Fenrir is, I beg you to please let him know if you are actually interested then at least you can talk things through together. If there really isn't a chance for you guys then at least you know you've tried although I'm pretty sure Fenrir likes you as well from the way he's always hovering around you."

"That's just because I'm new to the commune. He also feels guilty for everything that has happened to me since I was turned."

"I honestly think there's more to it than that, Remus, which is why you should talk to him, the sooner the better."

Remus looked thoughtful. "Well I was going to ask if he was planning on taking anyone to your wedding. It's traditional for the alpha to turn up with someone as it can be seen as a weakness to be single."

"Really? Now that is interesting because as far as I'm aware he didn't RSVP plus one."

"Oh, um, I guess that's good then," Remus stuttered, a blush lightning his cheeks.

"Yep, especially for me since it made you guys much easier to seat. I hope you don't mind but I put you on the table with Peter and Tom. He's been exonerated of his crimes thanks to Dumbledore's confession but people are still understandably weary of him which made it difficult to find a table to seat them at."

"That's fine, it'll be good to catch up with Peter again. I haven't had much chance to chat with him since he was following Tom around Europe."

"I'd make the most of it if I were you, I think they're off again now the trials are over. The British Ministry is quite happy about it as well," said Haddy. 

"I can imagine: they weren't able to prosecute him since he wasn't in his right mind when he commited the crimes but it doesn't look great that the man that people feared for so long is walking free."

"Precisely. I do hope things get better for him eventually. I like talking to him, he can be really insightful sometimes."

"Yes, Peter has said as much, although he does seem a little oblivious to Peter's feelings for him."

"I don't think so; he's aware but, having lost so many years as Voldemort, he's still grieving the loss of Regulus. Perhaps one day he'll be able to move on but I don't think Peter minds, he seems content just spending time with the man he loves."

"Yeah, well, at least he doesn't have to worry about Tom ending up with anyone else," Remus muttered, "maybe I can join them on their travels."

"Or you could just try talking to Fenrir and seeing where you stand, if not you may end up missing out on something important."

Remus sighed, "I suppose you're right, as scary as it seems."

"Good. So that way I can expect you to be each other's dates to the wedding and I can win my bet with Rab and Rodo, they're also on your table by the way."

"And Bella?" Haddy nodded, "That's fine, I imagine they're as hard to seat as Tom and Peter. Since Fenrir was one of Voldemort's followers, I'm sure that'll be fine with him as well,but what do you mean bet?"

"Well I bet that you would be the one to get your head out your arse first and ask Fenrir to be your date but Rodo reckoned it would be Fenrir. Rab thought that you were both idiots and still wouldn't have told each other how you feel and would both be coming to the wedding single."

"So what do you win if I, as you say, get my head out my arse?"

"At the end of the night Rab and Rodo have to dress up in drag and perform a song of my choosing."

"In that case I believe I have an alpha to find, provided you let me choose which song they sing." Haddy nodded, "In that case I'll bid you goodbye and I'll write to you to let you know how things go. Take care of yourself, Haddy and say hi to Severus for me. I probably won't see either of you now until the wedding."

"Bye Remus and good luck, not that I think you'll need it."

The werewolf walked away laughing and Haddy made his way back to the castle. It had been too long since he'd had some alone time with his fiancé and he was hoping to be able to make the most of the fact that most of the school would be out for some time yet. If Severus was busy he was sure he'd be able to think of some way to entice the man to play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to tie up some loose ends before I finish this story especially as I don't know when I'll even start the sequel. Yes, there will be one but don't expect it anytime soon.


	89. Chapter 89

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now for the much anticipated wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do hope that you enjoy the ceremony. I am not a practicing pagan so I apologise in advance if I made any mistakes.
> 
> For those of you who are interested, I drew on Narcissa's floriography skills again and have a list of their meanings at the end.

Severus was very nervous as he stood at the end of the aisle. It wasn't that he had any worries about Haddy not showing up but there was something disconcerting about standing in front of so many people with all their attention solely focused on him. He would have thought they would take a little more time to appreciate the effort Narcissa had made on decorating the garden, creating a true masterpiece of flowers.

He had to assume she had been planning this for months. The ceremony was being held in a grove of Linden trees, set in a ring, with bushes of white lavender and marjoram which created a heady scent whenever a breeze blew through. There was also an ivy arch at the entrance that was decorated in white peonies, gardenias, phlox and a star flowered orchid with a matching display laid out on the altar. The smelled as delightful as it looked and he was sure each of the guests appreciated it as they came in. There was also an abundance of babies breath decorating the back of every chair which even he had to admit looked good despite it only being considered a low brow flower and he did wonder why Narcissa had chosen to use so much of it.

It was a lovely, warm day and the sun was already beating down on him even though it wasn't even 11 yet and Severus was immensely glad that both he and Haddy had decided on silk robes in a traditional style that meant they were airy as well as light. He was also glad that he'd opted for a dark green instead of his usual black, not that he had much choice since Lucius had point blank forbade him from wearing his signature colour. The upside of a dark colour was that it wouldn't show up his sweat as much although he wasn't sure if his level of perspiration was due to the heat or the steady gaze of Lady Aurelia who was officiating their ceremony. It was strange to think that such an intimidating figure would soon become his grandmother, albeit grandmother in law, and he doubted he'd ever be completely comfortable around the woman.

Severus looked down the aisle to avoid the high elf's stern gaze and was rewarded with the sight of Haddy making his way under the arch and his breath caught as he took in the sight of his soon to be husband. The young man had decided on silver robes, embroidered with a deep green and beset with emeralds that seemed to burn in the sun. The man was a vision and Severus could still not believe his luck that this was who he got to spend the rest of his life with. Haddy flashed him a nervous smile as he caught his eye, clearly a little freaked out with everyone's eyes on him. Severus tried to send him a reassuring smile back but had a feeling his own was equally anxious.

It felt like forever before Haddy was finally standing next to him and Severus could take his hand as Lady Aurelia began the ceremony.

"Friends, family, loved ones. We are gathered here today to see these two people, Hadrian and Severus, join hands and be bound together by their love, now and forever. Before we begin the ceremony we will turn this place into sacred ground. As I cast the circle, please take a moment to visualise loving, positive energy for the couple."

Lady Aurelia then lit a candle and walked towards the altar, stopping at a large yellow candle on the floor.

"Let it be known that the circle is about to be cast. All who enter the circle may do so in perfect love and perfect trust."

Bending down to light the candle she called out, "Guardians of the east, I call upon you to watch over this bonding. Powers of knowledge and wisdom, guided by air, we ask that you keep watch over us today." She continued round to a red candle. "Guardians of the south, I call upon you to watch over this bonding. Powers of energy and will, guided by fire, we ask that keep watch over us today." Next there was a blue candle. "Guardians of the west, I call upon you to watch over this bonding. Powers of passion and emotion, guided by water, we ask that you keep watch over us today." Finally there was a green candle. "Guardians of the north, I call upon you to watch over this bonding. Powers of strength and endurance, guided by earth, we ask that you keep watch over us today. The circle is now cast; Hadrian, Severus, how do you enter?" 

"With perfect love and perfect trust," they both replied.

Lady Aurelia nodded and they walked up to the altar hand in hand as Lady Aurelia walked back round to the yellow candle before following behind them. She lit some incense on the altar and placed the first candle on the altar in front of them. She asked them to take out the rings they would exchange so she could consecrate them with salt, incense, the flame of the candle and water.

"The circle is an infinite thing. It is magical and never-ending, never changing and yet always adaptable, a ring with no beginning and no conclusion. Like the circle, true love itself is infinite. It goes on, knowing no boundaries or restrictions. It flourishes and blooms in the light and in the dark, laying down no ultimatums, making no demands at all. Love, in its infinite form, is something that cannot be forced. It cannot be taken away. It is a gift we give to ourselves and an honor that we give to others from the bottom of our hearts and souls.

"When two people come together and give each other this most sacred gift it is certain the universe is sitting back and smiling upon us, laughing and bestowing us with every blessing possible.

"Today is a day to celebrate the love of Haddy and Severus. They are two people who are the halves of a whole. Two souls, coming together to form one being; two hearts beating in a single rhythm. They are together as one and will now light a candle of unity, to show the universe that they are indeed one light burning in the darkness."

There were two white tapers at either end of the altar that had been lit before the start of the ceremony which Severus and Harry now picked up to come together to light a larger white candle in the centre.

Lady Aurelia continued, "today we ask that the infinite light of the divine shine down upon this union. In that spirit I offer a blessing to this ceremony.

"Blessed be this marriage with the gifts of the east - new beginnings that come each day with the rising sun, communication of the heart, mind, body and soul.

"Blessed be this marriage with the gifts of the south - the light of the heart, the heat of passion and the warmth of a loving home.

"Blessed be this marriage with the gifts of the west - the rushing excitement of a raging river, the soft and pure cleansing of a rainstorm and a commitment as deep as the ocean itself.

"Blessed be this marriage with the gifts of the north - a solid foundation on which to build your lives, abundance and growth of your home and the stability to be found by holding one another at the end of the day.

"Hadrian, Severus, these four simple blessings will help you on your journey that begins today. However, they are only tools which you must use together to create the light, the strength, the infinite energy now and forever, of a love you both so richly deserve.

"Now, I bid you to look into one another's eyes and hearts. Severus, please place the ring on Hadrian's finger. Do you promise to show Hadrian your honour and fidelity, to share his laughter and joy, to support and stand by him in times of difficulty, to dream and hope together with him and to spend each day loving him more than the last?"

"I do."

"Hadrian, please place the ring on Severus's finger. Do you promise to show Severus your honour and fidelity, to share his laughter and joy, to support and stand by him in times of difficulty, to dream and hope together with him and to spend each day loving him more than the last?"

"I do."

"Now you may make your vows."

Severus looked deep into his love's eyes and was gladdened to see nothing but love and joy shining back at him. "Hadrian, from the first moment I met you my blood sang and I knew you were my mate and that nearly killed me for I had vowed to myself that I would never force someone to endure what my parents had. You, however, saw fit to love me regardless and slowly knocked down all of my carefully built walls and for that I am eternally grateful.

"I can no longer imagine a life without your bright smile lighting it up and I promise to spend each day cherishing you so that you may never come to regret becoming my mate. I love you, with all my heart."

"Severus, you are a constant in my life. From the moment I stepped into Hogwarts you were there to guard me and you have saved my life more times than I care to count. You spent so many years cultivating a fearsome reputation that most people can't see what a wonderful and caring person you truly are.

"I know a part of you still doesn't believe that you deserve to be happy but I promise you now to spend the rest of my life filling yours with so much joy that your face aches from smiling. I love you too."

"The vows of love have been spoken," Lady Aurelia announced, "I ask you now to cross your hands over each other and take one another's hands.

Severus held Haddy's left hand as held his right hand over them and Haddy placed his right hand on top of that, together forming the symbol of infinity as Lady Aurelia looped green and gold ribbons around their hands and wrists, loosely knotting the ends. 

"Severus, Hadrian, this cord of ribbons symbolizes so much. It is your life, your love and the eternal connection that the two of you have found in one another. The ties of this handfasting are not formed by these ribbons, or even by the knots that connect them. They are formed instead by your vows, by your pledge, your souls and your two hearts that are now bound together as one.

"One final thing; Severus, will you please kiss Hadrian?"

Severus didn't need to be told twice and lent down to place a chaste but loving kiss on Haddy's delicate pink lips. He could almost feel the magic tingle through his body as the vows were sealed and the bond was formed. Haddy was nothing but smiles as he stood up and they unwrapped the ribbons, careful not to undo the knot.

Lady Aurelia smiled at them. "Please turn to face the family and friends who love you. Ladies and gentlemen, I present Hadrian and Severus Snape.

"We will now dismiss this sacred space. As I close the circle please send all your loving energy to our newly handfasted couple so that they may begin their lives together with all your blessings and warm wishes."

Taking the original candle with her, Lady Aurelia walked up to the yellow candle. "Guardians of the east, thank you for watching over us and blessing this union with your presence." She blew out the yellow candle and moved on to the red. "Guardians of the south, thank you for watching over us and blessing your union with your presence." She repeated the process with the blue and green candles, thanking the guardians of the west and north respectively, before walking back to the yellow candle and blowing the original candle out. "The circle has been dismissed. Friends, please take a moment to congratulate Severus and Hadrian before making your way to the ballroom."

That was the queue they had all been waiting for as all their family and friends, as well as a number of people they'd never met before, came forward to shake their hands and offer their congratulations. There were a number of tear streaked faces and Severus saw Haddy's eyes well up as his mother kissed his cheeks and his father shocked many of the assembled people by crushing the boy in a hug. The only thing that shocked them more was when Hermione had hugged him, a gesture he returned. He'd been a little shocked himself although he supposed she considered them family now considering how close she was with Haddy. What truly surprised him was the number of people who seemed to be truly happy for them as a couple and he could almost feel the warmth of their well wishes as they shook his hand.

The wedding breakfast was a fairly rowdy affair, especially for a Malfoy celebration. A number of teachers sat at the head table in lieu of Severus's own family and they seemed to see this as an opportunity to let their hair down, despite the fact that there were a number of students present.

The Weasley twins were in full force, egged on by Thomas and Finnegan who were also sat at their table and Severus could only wonder why Narcissa had thought it prudent to place a bunch of Gryffindors together like that. At least it seemed to cheer Minerva up a bit to see her beloved students so happy after all the turmoil of the last year.

The table decorations all mirrored the decorations that had been on the altar and baby's breath once again adorned all the chairs and Severus could help but wonder if one of his new relatives were trying to say something.

The food was as delicious as ever and the wine flowed freely so that everyone was in high spirits when the food was done and the toasts were given. Severus was glad that they'd decided to forgo the muggle tradition of speeches and just stick to simple toasts as he dreaded what anyone would have ended up saying about him.

Eventually the tables were moved to the side and the dancing began. It felt wonderful to hold Hadrian in his arms as his husband, not that they'd really left each other's side all afternoon but he hadn't had the chance to properly hold him close and it was all he could do to keep from jumping the young man there and then. The vampire in him seemed to recognise the bond and knew that it was only a matter of time before he could finally take him and finish the blood bond. Haddy seemed to understand as he felt the heat of desire in the young man's gaze as they made their way around the floor. At this point Severus had never hated social convention more since he knew there would be hell to pay if he and Haddy were to suddenly disappear now. He still had a few hours to wait until they were free of their obligation and it was sheer torture.

He was almost glad when he and Haddy finally ended their dance and he moved on to dance with some of the other guests . Dancing with Lady Aurelia in particular had been like being doused in ice water and he suddenly found his ardour waning.

As the evening wore on Severus could see couples getting closer together and wondered how long it would be before the next wedding. Blaise and Lysander seemed as cosy as ever and it was almost strange to see Bella fussing over both boys as if she already considered Blaise as part of the family. He'd already heard Pansy admonish her father for trying to start up betrothal talks with Charlie Weasley, loudly declaring that she wanted to finish her schooling and get a job before she even considered getting married. He'd seen all of the Hogwarts staff glow with pride at her comment and it gave Severus a lot of hope for the future to know that they had at least some sensible witches and wizards joining magical society in the future.

Marcus Flint and Oliver Wood still appeared to be going strong and were some of the darlings of the press who often put them up alongside pictures of him and Haddy as they went on about love blooming in adversity. Talking about which, Draco and Hermione were shining as brightly as ever. Draco had obviously picked up all of his parents' hosting skills over the years and was doing a fine job of making sure everyone was entertained. Hermione was currently one step behind him but Severus knew it wouldn't be long before the witch had Draco's routine down pat. He had a feeling both students would end up in politics and would end up being a force to be reckoned with especially if they stayed together.

The couple that really surprised him was Lupin and Greyback. He knew from Haddy that the wolf had finally bitten the proverbial bullet and asked the alpha to be his date to the wedding but a part of him had assumed that would be for show. He knew that Greyback was fond of Lupin but he hadn't been sure whether that had been from affection or because Greyback felt a certain amount of guilt for what Lupin had had to endure over the years: looking at them now, however, it was obviously the former. They had started the day at an acceptable distance from each other but as the night progressed they seemed to get closer and closer to the point that Lupin was now resting his head on Greyback's shoulder and the alpha had his arm wrapped around Lupin's waist. To even a casual observer they looked like a couple and Severus hoped that it was a sign that Lupin was healing. At school he had hated the man for never standing up to his friends to stop the bullying but now, having found out what the werewolf had had to endure he could fully understand the man's inability to say anything to his so called friends. As a fellow victim of Potter and Black, Severus now felt a kinship towards him and hoped nothing but the best for his future.

It was near midnight when the party was finally breaking up. A number of guests were staying at the manor but Severus had insisted that he take Haddy back to their home tonight. He was still not entirely comfortable with the idea of spending the night with Haddy under Lucius's roof especially considering what he had planned for their first night as a married couple. Those plans had unfortunately now gone out the window since Haddy looked about as tired as he felt although the young man probably felt even worse. Once all the guests that were leaving had gone, with only family and close friends remaining, Severus put his arm around Haddy and led him on their round of goodbyes. Lucius tried to insist that they come back for breakfast the next day but Narcissa merely laughed at the suggestion and said that they would be happy to see the new couple at lunch if they could spare the time. Severus didn't mind too much considering that he and Haddy were off to Italy the day after for a four week tour.

Haddy was dead on his feet and Severus was barely able to get him out of his robes before he collapsed on the bed. Severus couldn't feel too upset but the boy did look so delectable spread out on his sheets and it only brought back memories of their wonderful time together over the spring holidays.

"'M sorry," Haddy mumbled.

"Why are you apologising?" Severus asked as he climbed into bed, also deciding to forgo nightwear.

"Too tired for our wedding night."

"Don't worry about that, Hadrian Snape. I don't mind waiting one more night when we have the rest of our lives together."

Despite his eyes being closed, a big grin spread across his face. "Yeah. Rest of our lives."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meanings:
> 
> Garderina - purity, sweet love, you're lovely.
> 
> Ivy - fidelity, wedded love, affection, friendship.
> 
> White Lavender - loyalty, love, devotion.
> 
> Linden tree - matrimony.
> 
> Marjoram - joy, happiness. 
> 
> Peony - happy marriage, prosperity, bashfulness. 
> 
> Phlox - our souls are united.
> 
> Stephanotis (the white star-shaped flower mentioned) - marital happiness
> 
> And the abundance of Baby's Breath (Gypsophila) - fertility.


	90. Chapter 90

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys first time as a lawfully wedded couple and Severus has a surprise in store for his young mate.

Severus woke up with his arms full of his mate and for a brief moment he panicked before he remembered that they were now married and Haddy could be his in every sense of the word. He couldn't help cuddling the boys closer to him, shuffling so that his cock was nestled between those sweet cheeks. He'd had big plans for the night before but the wedding had taken it out of both of them and they'd been too tired to actually consummate their bond. Now though, Severus was fully rested and ready to implement his dastardly plan.

Being careful not to wake his new husband, Severus manoeuvred Haddy onto his back and gently lifted his hands above his head, attaching them to some handcuffs he'd set up the day before.

"Mmm, Severus," Haddy moaned as he relaxed into the new position and his legs naturally fell apart. It heartened Severus that he could elicit such a reaction in his mate.

When he and Haddy had first set out on this endeavour, Severus had hoped to be able to save their first time together for their wedding night. In hindsight he should have known Haddy would be too impatient to wait that long and, admittedly, Severus would have struggled himself given how tempting his mate truly was and it was nice not to have the added pressure of taking Haddy's virginity. Carefully as he could, Severus stretched out Haddy's legs, binding them to the bedposts. His mate looked quite the picture, all spread out for him, and the urge to just plunge into his hot, tight hole was almost overwhelming, however Severus had a plan for their first night as a married couple, or at least first morning.

Haddy stirred in his bindings and slowly opened his eyes.

"I must say I could get used to waking up like this." The smile on his face was all the encouragement Severus needed to continue.

"That's definitely good to know."

"So can I expect more of this treatment in the future?"

"We'll see, I wanted to try something a bit different since this is our first time as a married couple."

Haddy moaned. "Then I leave myself in your capable hands love. I assume the usual protocols apply."

"Yes," said Severus, giving his husband a sensual kiss before moving along his jaw to his ear, "but I'm pretty sure this will not be something you want to stop."

Haddy was intrigued with what Severus had planned. Admittedly, they had tried a lot of things by this point so he wasn't overly surprised that the man, his husband, knew what he'd like. Like being tied up; they'd tried multiple restraint techniques over their time together and this wasn't the first time that Haddy had been spread eagle on the bed although it was the first time he hadn't been aware of what was happening. If he had been awake he'd probably have suggested a different position: this was far from his favourite since, while it severely restricted his movement which was something he loved, it left very few options to do anything else and also didn't allow his partner to get much leverage which was a shame as Haddy did so love it when Severus pounded him into the mattress, or whichever surface they happened to be using.

Not that he minded it for an appetizer, especially with the way Severus was slowly making his way down Haddy's body, teasing constantly and making him squirm and tug on his restraints; a reminder of his current position that sent a jolt of pleasure through him each time. As his husband neared his cock it was already leaking copiously so Haddy wasn't at all surprised when Severus put a cock ring on him. In all honesty it was almost a relief since he now didn't have to worry about holding himself back and could thoroughly enjoy all the sensations his husband was gifting him with.

Severus seemed intent to draw things out, using his mouth to taste every inch of Haddy's skin. Every now and then he would feel the scrape of fangs, especially against the more sensitive spots like behind his knee or in the cleft of his pelvis, and he would moan each time. He was happy Severus felt comfortable enough to release some of the iron tight control he held over his vampiric instincts and couldn't wait to see how things would change now his husband was finally free to let go.

By the time Severus had made his way back up Haddy's second leg the boy was a quivering mass of need and it thrilled his vampiric side to see his mate so desperate for him. He still couldn't help himself dropping his head and sucking the young man's cock down whole,his own member jerking at the scream he elicited.

"Please Severus, please, I beg you. I need you in me now."

Oh how he loved to hear his mate begging for him and was sorely tempted to give in but he knew that if he backed out now there was a chance he wouldn't have the will to do this again and he didn't want to feel like he was forcing his husband to miss out on anything, no matter how much it went against his nature.

Ignoring his husband's continued whining and pleading, Severus slid back up his love's body to once again capture his lips in a heated kiss.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be patient, pet. As I said, I have something a little different in store for you today."

Severus almost chuckled at the look of confusion that flitted across Haddy's face at his words but didn't allow the man to ponder too long before pushing himself up and impaling himself on his husband's cock.

It was a new sensation for Severus and he cried out in pain as he felt the walls of his anus stretch around Haddy's cock. He hadn't wanted to risk putting himself off so had only begun to prepare himself as he was bringing Haddy to the brink and had apparently underestimated the size of his husband's cock a bit and had to take a minute to allow his body to adjust to the intrusion once he was fully seated.

Haddy almost looked comical with his eyes bugging out of their sockets and mouth opening and closing as if his brain wasn't working enough to actually make any sound. Severus wriggled his hips experimentally and found that the pain had now subsided and was now replaced by a strange full sensation. He was just about to start moving when Haddy finally found his voice.

"Stop, Sev, you don't have to do this."

"But I want to, Haddy, especially since you will never know anyone's cock except my own. I hate the thought of depriving you of something and thought that our wedding night was the perfect opportunity."

"I love you so much, Severus Snape, but I promise that should you become uncomfortable at any point I am more than happy to stop and go back to our normal arrangement."

"Thank you, Haddy, and I love you too which is why you will be the first and only person I will ever allow to do this."

With that Severus lifted himself up on his knees and slammed himself back down again. Haddy's breath caught at the sensation but his eyes shone with love and adoration as Severus set up a gruelling pace, shifting his body every now and then in search of his prostate. He never actually tried to find it before and was slightly curious as to what it was exactly that could cause such an exquisite reaction in his partner every time he hit it. He knew roughly where it was but it was surprisingly difficult to find from this angle. The lightning that shit through his veins when he did finally hit it caused him to cry out and he would definitely be making the most of it in the future if this is what Haddy felt every time Severus hit his, possibly in a position similar to this, milking him dry of every last drop if cum before Severus would fill him with his own, fucking the abused hole, his partner likely senseless from being overwhelmed.

The new fantasy spurred Severus on, riding Haddy fast and hard, the young man babbling incoherently. Severus knew he was pushing his young husband to his limits but he needed to keep as much control of this situation as he could. He wanted this moment to be perfect after all. Finding the optimum angle, Severus continued his brutal pace, feeling his orgasm building in the pit of his stomach as his fangs elongated, his vampiric side revelling at being released. He knew he was getting close and wanted everything to be perfect. Haddy had long since become a jibbering, over-stimulated wreck of need and Severus didn't even have to ask if he was close; he knew the second he released the cock ring that was binding his husband, Haddy would be flooding his passage with his seed. Not wanting to push his husband too far, Severus took himself in hand as he wandlessly released the bindings tying Haddy's and pulled the young man up.

"Take me, Haddy, bring me over the edge."

Haddy had just enough wits to listen to Severus's command. His grip wasn't amazing but he wouldn't hold that against the boy given his state and Severus was more than close enough to not need much stimulation, especially in this position, with his cock pressed between them. The glazed look in Haddy's eyes as he stared at him was amazing, especially since he knew the vampire had fully taken over by now.

"I'm so close, Haddy, my love, and soon I will taste you."

Haddy simply moaned his assent as his grip on Severus's cock increased and that was all the permission Severus needed. He quickly used magic to release the ring binding his husband's member as he slammed his hips down once more before sinking his fangs into that exquisite neck. He felt Haddy filling his arse with cum as Severus's own release spilled between them although that was all secondary to the delicious flavour of his mates blood as it splashed across his tongue.

It was ambrosia, the nectar of heaven, and nothing he had ever tasted before could compare. He would never get enough of this taste but was conscious of taking too much from his mate and he reluctantly pulled back, telling himself that it was simply the first taste and there would be much more to come in the future.

Using his tongue to clean and seal the wound, Severus gently lay his mate back on the bed before removing the restraints. He could feel Haddy's seed inside him, still, and, while it wasn't entirely comfortable, a part of him didn't want to just clean it up. It was a part of his beloved after all, which instantly made it precious to him.

He was just settling down beside his husband when Haddy began to stir.

"Mmm, thank you my love. That was a wonderful gift."

"I'm glad I could give it to you then. Out of curiosity, is it something you would wish to repeat in the future?"

Haddy pulled a face and Severus let out a little sigh of relief. "I don't think so, love. As lovely as it felt to be inside you I have to admit it left me feeling empty. I hope I don't have to wait too long before we can do that the normal way."

Severus laughed, "I'm glad to hear it, Pet. I admit I missed the feel of your tight arse although that wasn't as bad as I thought. I wouldn't be adverse to changing things up every now and then."

"Maybe on our anniversary, or possibly every other one."

"I'm glad to hear you enjoy my cock so much. Now rest up, we will have to say goodbye to your family before we leave for our honeymoon or we'll never hear the end of it."

"Mmm, four weeks of you screwing brains out," moaned Haddy, "I can't wait."

Severus laughed. "I think you mean a lifetime love, and a very long one at that. Although I do hope we can at least see a few sights while we're there. Your parents will be most disappointed if we don't take in at least a little culture." 

Haddy pouted but eventually relented to his husband's wisdom but couldn't help looking forward to countless days wrapped safely in Severus's arms, knowing nothing would separate them ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG I can't believe I actually finished this: I knew 2021 would be a good year for me. Thank you all so much for you're support and your lovely comments that have helped to keep me going even when I hit a block. I started writing this on a complete whim and am so happy when I hear people enjoy it.
> 
> I've mentioned it a couple of times in the comments but there are plans for a sequel although it's nothing but a few ideas at the moment and it'll likely be sometime before I start as I have a new fic in the pipeline that I plan to start publishing next week.

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by a lovely story called Getting your life back by katbux. I have shamelessly borrowed some of her ideas as quite frankly I thought they were genius and I believe in giving credit where it is due.  
> On that note, thank you J K Rowling for creating the originals for us to play with.
> 
> As ever kudos and comments are always welcome.


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